Dangerous. That is the term used by a reference document cited by the Lawyers’ Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation (LCCHP) to describe a potential legislative proposal that would allow looted archaeological coins to enter the United States legally.
LCCHP has issued a call to action to halt the coin looters’ exemption before it might be introduced. The nonprofit posted a statement on its web site that explains what is happening:
Members of Congressman Charles B. Rangel’s (Dem-NY) and Congressman Steve Israel’s (Dem-NY) staff are considering the introduction of legislation that would specifically exempt coins from trade restrictions under the Cultural Property Implementation Act (CPIA). This initiative is being heavily lobbied for by coin collectors. LCCHP opposes the passage of this legislation, which would weaken protection of cultural heritage and allow collectors to more easily purchase coins discovered during illicit excavations.… We encourage our members within the relevant districts to contact the Congressmen regarding this legislation.
LCCHP President Elizabeth Varner and Vice President Diane Penneys Edelman wrote the lawmakers to say, “Such an exemption is neither needed by the coin trade nor warranted by CPIA’s provisions, and would cause irreparable harm to international relations.”
The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA), meanwhile, has launched a petition.to voice public concern over the looted coins exemption, saying “Rep. Rangel and Israel need to hear from their constituents like you who oppose this exemption.”
Readers of CHL are keenly awarethat the CPIA is the federal statute that authorizes U.S. Customs and Border Protection to keep out specifically designated archaeological coins—among other archaeological materials in jeopardy of pillage—from the stream of American commerce. The law’s definitions cover ancient coins.
As I have stated in my support of the inclusion of coins in the MOU [Memorandum of Understanding] with Cyprus, my arguments and position are not against collecting or trading coins: museums and scholars have always benefited from the collaboration and knowledge of collectors and dealers, most of whom are ethical and respect the law. The restrictions and MOUs pertain to illegal activities, looting and theft. (Emphasis in the original).
Adopting a coin looters’ exemption would turn the CPIA on its head by providing a safe haven for contraband archaeological coin artifacts imported from abroad— culturally significant artifacts that Arnold-Biucchi has called “invaluable documents of material culture and a primary source of information for the history, religion and art of those cities or rulers.”
The appeals court added that the CPIA does not create undue burdens on importers, writing that “[t]he importer need not document every movement of its articles since ancient times. It need demonstrate only that the articles left the country that has requested import restrictions before those restrictions went into effect or more than ten years before the date of import.”
Better than a change to the CPIA would be a record keeping law that brings integrity to the purchase and sale of ancient coins. Such a bill would require dealer record keeping of purchase and sales transactions and the chain of custody of archaeological coin artifacts imported and sold. A record keeping law, framed along the lines of one previously proposed by CHL, would help to spotlight and separate the black trade that has latched onto the legitimate marketplace and thereby help to safeguard an increasingly threatened archaeological record.
Staffers in Rep. Israel’s office might find this measure more appealing, particularly since the congressman has spearheaded other consumer protection bills including the Counterfeit Drug Enforcement Act, which proposed increased penalties for the sale of adulterated prescriptions and strengthened record keeping requirements to document the chain of custody of medications.
Documenting the chain of custody of heritage objects from dirt to dealer requires significant improvement, especially when it comes to legally importing archaeological coin artifacts. But a looters’ exemption to the CPIA would not offer a solution. Instead, this kind of exemption would expand transnational heritage trafficking into the American marketplace. That is why LCCHP and AIA have issued calls to action, urging those who care about preserving evidence of the past to contact Representatives Rangel and Israel before an exemption may be proposed.
Photo credit: A Schaeffer
By Rick St. Hilaire Text copyrighted 2010-2014 by Ricardo A. St. Hilaire, Attorney & Counselor at Law, PLLC. Blog url: culturalheritagelawyer.blogspot.com. Any unauthorized reproduction or retransmission of this post is prohibited. CONTACT INFORMATION: www.culturalheritagelawyer.com
©2010-2022 Cultural Heritage Lawyer Rick St. Hilaire. Content discussing cultural heritage law, art law, looted antiquities, stolen artifacts, and museum risk management that is general information only, not legal advice.
