"Your positions, if implemented in law would in my opinion, and that of other advocates of collectors' rights, have catastrophic effects upon collecting".The collection of material from verifiably known legitimate origin ( thus not from the fresh and continued looting of archaeological sites) which is what I urge would not be a "catastrophe" to the ethical collecting of material from verifiably known legitimate origin though would it?
I hardly think that somebody who supports changes to make it harder for corrupt policemen, for example, to abuse the system can be described as "anti-police", or those who support changes to remove possibilities of abuse and corruption in the medical profession could be described as "anti-healthcare".
Let us call a spade a spade. The truly ethical and responsible collecting of artefacts will not be rendered impossible by measures taken to ensure that the position of the truly ethical and responsible collection of artefacts is strengthened. Such measures would however be "catastrophic" to another type of trade and collecting though - but the question is whether those standing out for the "rights" of those other collectors really are doing themselves, or the rest of the collecting milieu any favours.
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4 comments:
> coin dealer Dave Welsh in the comments here says:
"Your positions, if implemented in law would in my opinion, and that of other advocates of collectors' rights, have catastrophic effects upon collecting".
> The collection of material from verifiably known legitimate origin ( thus not from the fresh and continued looting of archaeological sites) which is what I urge would not be a "catastrophe" to the ethical collecting of material from verifiably known legitimate origin though would it?
Of course collection of material from verifiably known legitimate origin (i.e. provenanced artifacts) is laudable. The problem is that existing collections of ancient coins are made up of specimens 95% (or more) of which have no recorded provenance.
If your position - that it is unethical to collect unprovenanced material - were actually implemented in law, 95% of coins in existing collections and dealer inventory would be classified as "illicit." Trade in such coins would be prohibited and collections would lose their value. The supply of coins available to collectors would become extremely limited, and most dealers would be forced out of business.
"Catastrophic effects" accurately describes such a result.
Dave Welsh
Unidroit-L Listowner
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Unidroit-L
dwelsh46@cox.net
Mr Welsh says:
"If your position - that it is unethical to collect unprovenanced material - were actually implemented in law, 95% of coins in existing collections and dealer inventory would be classified as "illicit."
No. Not unless the law was retrospective. Which is on no-one's agenda of course. So why represent conservationist views as something that they are not? In case there are customers in the gallery perchance?
We can all speak to them:
PAS recommends no-one should buy antiquities unless they are sure they aren't looted. Mr Welsh has publicly announced to British archaeologists that he is unwilling to comply with PAS's request.
Collectors, self-evidently, should carefully consider where they buy coins.
I remember that, as ACCG International Affairs Committeee Chairman, he came over to the British Archaeology (Britarch) discussion list hosted by the CBA to tell British archaeologists what is what. Even the metal detectorists found him a bit dodgy and wanted to have nothing to do with the views he was spouting.
"Even the metal detectorists found him a bit dodgy and wanted to have nothing to do with the views he was spouting."
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Well I wouldn't put their extreme distaste down to any wish to conserve the resource. On the contrary, the chat on the detecting forums was that Mr Welsh was a real danger to them as he gave British metal detecting a bad name.
Quite a feat. But, since he gives American collectors a bad name, curiously predictable.
I'm sure that if even the man in the baseball cap in the British field can see Mr Welsh as a Loot-Aid performer the average US collector ought to be able to see the same thing. Wide reading, beyond the websites of coin dealers, is the answer.
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