Peter Tompa Presents to the St. Louis Ancient Coin Study Group

The St. Louis Ancient Coin Study group meets monthly via Zoom and features speakers presenting on various aspects of ancient and byzantine numismatics. At the recent July 17 meeting, Peter Tompa, IAPN Executive Director, spoke on cultural property law and practice. Tompa discussed the complexities surrounding U.S. customs laws related to the import of ancient coins. He explained that importers - particularly dealers or buyers from foreign auctions - risk seizure of coins without proper documentation, especially regarding origin and valuation. Tompa outlined how misrepresentations, Cultural Property Implementation Act restrictions, and national patrimony laws can all justify seizures. He also noted that designated import restriction lists have expanded over time to include more coins, sometimes controversially.

Tompa argued that current policies disproportionately favor archaeological advocacy groups and promote overbroad enforcement, often using soft power justifications. He encouraged collectors to support H.R. 595, a bill aiming to simplify import compliance through self-certification rather than proving coins left source countries before specific dates - often an impractical task. He advocated buying from knowledgeable dealers, joining the Ancient Coin Collectors Guild, and contacting legislators to support reform. In the Q&A, he addressed concerns about overreach, the Manhattan DA's aggressive antiquities prosecutions, the superior British Portable Antiquities Scheme, and the impact of AI on future enforcement. Tompa emphasized proactive engagement to preserve coin collecting freedoms in the face of increasingly restrictive policies.

Link to St. Louis Ancient Coin Study Group Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=st.%20louis%20ancient%20coin%20study%20group

Link to St. Louis Ancient Coin Study Group meeting videos on Newman Portal:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/multimediadetail/552485

Link to H.R. 595 text on Congress.gov:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/595/text

Announced today, the Internet Archive has been designated as a federal depository library by Senator Alex Padilla.

Senator Padilla explained the designation in a statement to KQED: