Tuesday 13 April 2010

ACCG fax count 13.04.10

The ACCG has mounted a desperate campaign to stop the US government helping Italy protect its cultural property from illegal disperssal on the voracious market. They triumphantly announced that from among the 50 000 estimated (theirs) collectors of ancient coins in the USA - some 5000 of which they claim as their "afiliated members" a week after the alarmist scare tactics were applied and the mailshots started going out:
Faxes from 597 discrete addresses opposing import restrictions on ancient coins from Italy have been logged through the ACCG Fax Wizard as of 12:01 AM CST, Tuesday April 13. This log will be updated periodically.
I rember that it stood at 149 on Sunday afternoon.
One question, considering that faxes could also have been sent through this facility by people who do not oppose import restrictions on ancient coins from Italy, how do the ACCG know how many faxes are against and how many are for? Does the ACCG have a filter which divides them into two groups, and if so, what happens to the other group? Does this text indicate that the faxes sent through the ACG "faxwizard' are somehow censored or otherwise examined by the ACCG, or is this just an arrogant assumption that all who write to the CPAC are in favour of an export free-for-all in Italy's dugup antiquities? The AIA is more dignified, they are not counting it seems.

I think the ACCG should produce a bilingual text for this counter, the second should be in Italian. Let the Italian people see how much this group of US citizens values and respects Italy's heritage. Let Italians ask themselves why they are doing this to them.

Not so long ago the US were getting huge amounts of international flak about the looting of archaeological sites in Iraq following the ill-starred US-led invasion of 2003. Who then sent a group of specially trained carabinieri to help make it look as if the coalition was actually doing something to stop it? It was Italy (see here, here, and also Lawrence Rothfield (ed.):"Antiquities under siege : cultural heritage protection after the Iraq war"). The US did little more in the field it seems than reportedly send a Marine chaplain to 'interact' with the Moslems on the topic. Brilliant choice. Anyway as we have seen the same ACCG activists have bee in constant denial that there was any such looting and anyway "none of the artefacts were getting to the US", both of which are claims I examine in a number of earlier posts in this blog and find false.

Italy stood side by side with the US in their war on Saddam's Iraq, in particular the dedication of Italian cultural property protection specialists should be more fully recognised. The US has already been embarrassed enough by the material which was looted frtom Italian soi;l that somehow managed to get through US customs to the showcases of its biggest museums. Now Italy is asking for a little help regulating the disappearance of its cultural heritage abroad,and a group of US cizens is saying "No!". I think the italians deserve an explanation. In Italian. It seems only right and proper.

3 comments:

Dave Welsh said...

The ACCG is really doing nothing more than alerting everyone in the collecting community to what past history gives very good reason to expect is likely to happen.

It seems to me that Mr. Barford objects to that, and is taking the view that until something actually does happen, there is no valid reason to be concerned.

If Mr. Barford would however read the history of the Cyprus MOU, I think it is likely that his objections could be resolved. In this case a statement was actually made by the State Department to the effect that there was no intention of adding ancient coins to the list. However when the hearing was held, Cyprus did indeed add ancient coins to its request. This came as a complete surprise to the collecting community and a significant outpouring of outrage regarding the deceptive tactics involved followed.

Thus, in this case the collecting community really has no alternative other than to assume that an effort will be made to add ancient coins to the Italian MOU and to marshal its resources to oppose such a prospective addition - in advance, since the CPAC process does not provide for any period during which objections can be registered after the hearing has been held and its report has been submitted.

Dave Welsh
Unidroit-L Listowner
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Unidroit-L
dwelsh46@cox.net

Paul Barford said...

"The ACCG is really doing nothing more than

No, stop trying to kid s, we all see precisely what the ACCG is trying to do - or rather avoid. What the ACCG is doing is nothing to do with “the collecting community”, it is about reducing the legal restrictions on coin imports for dealers, not your clients, who if you were to comply would be thereby buying material of documented legal origins. Something you say that you cannot normally supply – well here is a chance, but you are fighting it.

"there is no valid reason to be concerned".
I am not at all concerned that it will be more difficult to import illegally exported material into the US.

Let us hope that every market country follows the exemplary role the US is playing in setting the moral lead.

"If Mr. Barford would however read the history of the Cyprus MOU,
How patronising can you get? "If Mr Welsh would" follow this link

http://paul-barford.blogspot.com/search?q=Cyprus

...he will see that there are enough posts in this blog on the topic of what you lot are up to with the Cyprus MOU to last a wet afternoon. Yes, I have done a lot of reading about it. As of corse you really know.

"an effort will be made to add ancient coins to the Italian MOU"
Yes, I think it will. Jolly good job too in my opinion. As I have said a number of times.

the reason however why I am hoping they go on is primarily because the ACCG has challenged the previous two and wants to get them repealed so they do not “form a precedent”. Well, it is my hope that the Italy MOU will be revised to include coins, and that the State Department do it totally by the book so there are no grounds for calling it “arbitrary and capricious” or “unlawful” and DEALERS will have to comply and supply their clients with coins of documented clean origins.

Good. That is how it should be.

Paul Barford said...

[Dave, Why do you insist on addressing me in the third person on my own blog?]

"The ACCG is really doing nothing more than ...

No, stop trying to kid us, we all see precisely what the ACCG is trying to do - or rather avoid.

What the ACCG is doing is nothing
to do with “the collecting community”, it is about reducing the legal restrictions on coin imports for dealers, not your clients, who if you were to comply would be thereby buying material of documented legal origins. Something you say that you cannot normally supply – well here is a chance, but you are fighting it.

"there is no valid reason to be concerned".
I am not at all concerned that it will be more difficult to import illegally exported material into the US.

Let us hope that every market country follows the exemplary role the US is playing in setting the moral lead.

"If Mr. Barford would however read the history of the Cyprus MOU,..."

How patronising can you get? "If Mr Welsh would" follow this link
http://paul-barford.blogspot.com/search?q=Cyprus

...you will see that there are enough posts in this blog on the topic of what you lot are up to with the Cyprus MOU to last a wet afternoon. Yes, I have done a lot of reading about it. As of course you really know because we've been talking about it all this time.

"an effort will be made to add ancient coins to the Italian MOU"
Yes, I think it will. Jolly good job too in my opinion. As I have said a number of times.

The reason however why I am hoping they go on is primarily because the ACCG has challenged the previous two and wants to get them repealed so they do not “form a precedent”. Well, it is my hope that the Italy MOU will be revised to include coins, and that the State Department do it totally by the book so there are no grounds for calling it “arbitrary and capricious” or “unlawful” and DEALERS will have to comply and supply their clients with coins of documented clean origins.

Good. That is how it should be.

So will the ACCG "internationalists" be explaining in Italian to the Italian public why they don't want their government to help the Italians protect their archaeological heritage?

 
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