US Customs is bragging to the press about its seizure of Roman coins the importer "misrepresented" came from the Middle East when "everyone" knows "Roman" means "Italian." But from the pictures, the coins appear to be from the 4th C. at which time Rome had mints in the "Middle East." Moreover, it's quite likely the importer was being truthful about what he knew about their find spot. So, this could very well be yet another case of Customs overreach that is not contested in court because the low value of items that are seized and the high cost of legal services.
US Customs promises to "repatriate" the coins (estimated value $1,000) to the Italian Government at a future date. What the Italians will do with them remains to be seen, but CPO suspects they would be better off in collector's trays than dumped unwanted on Italy's grossly underfunded and corrupt cultural bureaucracy.
CPO is even more concerned that such questionable seizures will multiply if HR 1493, a bill meant to ramp up customs enforcement, becomes law. There is already enough abuses visited on small businesses and collectors by overzealous Customs officers. We need to encourage fairness and strict adherence to law, not "getting a seizure" to "get more press."
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3 comments:
Is there any way to blow up the photo from Customs? All of these coins bear mintmarks (though we can only see some reverses - lots are obverses). However, if you look at the terrible photo and at the second row of six legible photos from the top, you will see a very small coin. It is of the so-called Persecution Issue and shows the Tyche of Antioch, AND WAS ONLY STRUCK IN ANTIOCH. Thus, not Italian, TURKISH because while Antioch was the capital of Roman Syria, it is now in Turkey. Maybe that is why they don't have legible photos...
I suggest forwarding this to the numismatic press. Perhaps, they could get more information.
I tried to comment but I think it did not get through - please do forward that comment to the numismatic press! Coming from a distinguished officer of the court it might get more attention than if I, a simple amateur, sent it. By the way, I neglected to include proper references for that coin, they are:
J. Van Heesch. “The Last Civic Coinages and the Religious Policy of Maximinus Daza (312 AD)” in NC 153 (1993, 3A); R. McAlee, The Coins of Roman Antioch (Lancaster 2007), 170.
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