Portable Antiquity Collecting and Heritage Issues: ACCG Questions Ban on Smuggling King Tut's Coins.

Tuesday, 25 March 2014

ACCG Questions Ban on Smuggling King Tut's Coins.

Tuttus Rex

Oy-vey, "ACCG FOIAs Any Behind the Scenes Communications with Connected Archaeological Insiders in Effort to Ascertain Whether Egyptian MOU is a Done Deal. " because of course all those ancient coin collectors are mightily concerned about all those pharaonic debens that will not be reaching the US market without export documents. Especially those highly popular Ramessid, Tuthmosid coinages and the issues of Amenhotep IV (Akhenaton), not forgetting the coins of the woman pharaoh, Hatshepsut eh?

7 comments:

Cultural Property Observer said...: I assume this is an attempt at humor, but what's not funny is that the usual bait and switch will likely go on-- justify restrictions based on alleged looting of early material of the Pharaohs, but actually restrict everything and everything. I've seen that movie before with regard to the "emergency" restrictions on Iraqi goods. It was justified based on the looting of early sites, but took in EVERYTHING including modern art.; 25 March 2014 at 14:27
Paul Barford said...: British humour (that's the way we spell it). Opaque to foreigners. Why "alleged"?; 25 March 2014 at 14:56
Cultural Property Observer said...: Fair enough. There is at least some looting going on; the question is how much. As mentioned on my blog, information about the looting of Malawi Museum left out most of the material that wasn't destroyed by locals angry at the authorities for overthowing their president was actually returned. The other issues is that we've had various pronouncements in the past on the extent of the looting. The major concern this is all being overstated to justify restrictions that will be just used to help legitimate Egypt's military government.; 25 March 2014 at 16:36
Paul Barford said...: But my point was why the coin dealers are the ones kicking up a fuss when there are several international antiquity dealers' associations who seem less concerned to attack the US government?

Is this just about Ptolemaic issues of Alexandria?; 25 March 2014 at 21:12
Cultural Property Observer said...: Many reasons to kick up a fuss, but here are the two main ones: (1) the documentation requirements are impossible to comply with because the vast majority of coins don't have the required documentary history and even if they did, most foreign sellers would rather sell to another foreigner rather than deal with the US Government paperwork; (2) once again the State Department and US Customs seem to be taking major short-cuts with regards to statutory procedures.; 26 March 2014 at 02:27
Paul Barford said...: So, my question again, why not OTHER dealers? Do they have better documentation for their shabtis and scarabs, or do they have other reasons for accepting that the antiquities market is changing?; 26 March 2014 at 04:14
Cultural Property Observer said...: I suspect they are oblivious to what's going on. Look at the antique ivory bru ha ha. It only dawned on collectors what happened after the order banning sale was published. No one seems to have noticed until after the fact.

I think everyone should act in accordance with the law, including the State Department and Customs. And I also think the best time to let concerns be knowns is before any decision is made.; 26 March 2014 at 05:06