A new amendment to the German Cultural property and Heritage Protection Law looks set to have extremely negative repercussions for collectors worldwide.

The proposed changes to the law, put forward by German Minister of Culture Monika Gruetters, will affect anyone specialising in traditional collecting fields, such as coins, stamps and books.

What does this mean?

In basic terms, it means that any owner of what is deemed 'cultural goods' with a value of 2,500 Euros will now have to provide absolute proof of the the item's provenance for the previous 20 years.

In the case of items that are deemed 'of archaeological value', the same is true to the value of just 100 Euros.

I don't trade in Germany, why should I care?

Collectors all over the world need to take notice of this proposal. If it passes, it means that it will severely restrict trade in Germany, which will inevitably have a detrimental effect on prices and values across the entire market.

Law is law, what can I do?

This is one of those rare occasions where the voice of those directly affected can make a difference. The proposed amendment openly calls for 'comment and contribution', meaning that it is not yet set in stone and we can have an influence on the amendment's future.

So, what do we do?

A petition has been created which you can sign by following this link. At A H Baldwin & Sons we are actively encouraging our valued customers and friends to sign, so that we can continue to preserve the traditions and time-honoured culture of not just numismatics but collecting in all its guises.

As always, we continue to appreciate your support.

----The Baldwin's Team

To sign the Baldwin's petition, see:
www.baldwin.co.uk/petition