Dear Group:



The US State Department has reported the extension of current import
restrictions on Italian cultural artifacts on its web site.



http://exchanges.state.gov/culprop/itfact.html



This posting elaborates on information first published in the Federal
Register (also accessible from the above link)



Although not readily apparent from the link, I have received independent
confirmation that coins are again exempted from the above restrictions
for an additional 5 year period.



At a September 2005 hearing before the US Cultural Property Advisory
Committee (CPAC) to consider renewal of the Italian import restrictions,
several members of the archaeological community argued for the extension
of import restrictions to coins. In essence, they argued that
restrictions were warranted to discourage the sale of coins stolen from
archaeological sites, mostly by individuals hunting for coins with metal
detectors. In contrast, representatives of the Ancient Coin Collectors
Guild, Ancient Coins for Education, the International Association of
Professional Numismatists, and the Professional Numismatists Guild
argued against extension of the current import restrictions to coins.
In essence, they argued restrictions were not warranted because they
would impede legitimate collecting and hence the study and preservation
of such artifacts. CPAC also received over 500 letters from concerned
coin collectors in the short period allowed from public comment. Other
organizations, including the American Numismatic Association, also wrote
CPAC to express their concerns.



Italy has also recently announced moves to allow export of most ancient
coins, a fact that no doubt was of great significance to CPAC's
deliberations.



In any event, as a result of this decision, coins of potential Italian
origin without a provenance can still be imported into the US as long as
they are properly declared. Other provisions of US law ban the import
of stolen artifacts, including coins.



Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.



Sincerely,



Peter K. Tompa

Dillingham & Murphy, LLP

1155 Connecticut Ave., N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20036

Telephone: 202.835.9880

Facsimile: 202.835.9885

E-mail: pkt@...







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