tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51117946187941850812024-03-13T04:25:57.211-07:00Ancient & World Coin GeekThis is a blog talking about ancient and world coins with a little humor thrown in from time to time just to keep it interesting. Expect the eclectic.Jim McGariglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12633516050539531363noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-39608496808865405822010-04-17T08:10:00.000-07:002010-04-17T09:45:12.920-07:00Import Restrictions Again - Italy & Sicily<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Greetings all,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I urge you to take the time to go to the ACCG website if you haven't already and send in your fax using the ACCG's *FREE* fax wizard to the U.S. State Dept, urging them to not restrict the importation of Greek and Roman coins. You can do it here:<br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.vcoins.com/fax/">http://www.vcoins.com/fax/</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">As some of you may know, I am active in the <a href="http://www.wisgop.org/">Republican Party of Wisconsin</a> and several years back, fought to pass a party <a href="http://www.accg.us/issues/news/resolution/">resolution upholding collectors rights</a>. What was unique about this resolution (from a Republican activist's point of view) was normally office holders will not take a stand on newly proposed resolutions coming before the floor but congressmen <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Ryan_%28politician%29">Paul Ryan</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Petri">Tom Petri</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Andrew_Green">Mark Green</a> <a href="http://www.accg.us/issues/news/friend2006">supported it</a> (it is mentioned briefly on <a href="http://www.petripeople.org/issues.html">Petri's website</a>) and it passed by a voice vote of about 75% of the delegates present.<br /><br />Sample letters and talking points can be found here:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.vcoins.com/fax/sampleletters.asp">http://www.vcoins.com/fax/sampleletters.asp</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.vcoins.com/fax/talkingpoints.asp">http://www.vcoins.com/fax/talkingpoints.asp</a><br /><br />So you don't have to be an expert coin collector to write a letter, nor be a good letter writer. Just sign up at the Fax Wizard, go through the steps, and the hit the buttons and PRESTO! You will have sent a letter to the State Department asking them to not restrict the importation of Greek and Roman coins for U.S. ancient coin hobbyists.<br /><br />I just ask that you keep your language <span style="font-weight: bold;">logical</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">polite</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">respectful</span>. You are writing to a career diplomat, not your congressman. We want to win over, not offend these people. Let's keep this great educational hobby legal and free of government intrusion!<br /><br />After you use the <a href="http://www.vcoins.com/fax/">Fax Wizard</a> you may give a donation if you want, but <span style="font-weight: bold;">YOU DO NOT HAVE TO!</span> Also, if you wish to own your own ancient coin you can of course contact me :-) or you can go to the Vcoins ancient coin mall and buy a coin from a Vcoins dealer, they are among those who support the <span style="font-weight: bold;">FREE</span> <a href="http://www.vcoins.com/fax/">Fax Wizard</a>.<br /><br />If you wish to study the issue more on your own I suggest going to the ACCG website here:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.accg.us/">http://www.accg.us/</a><br /><br />Remember it is <span style="font-weight: bold;">.us</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">.com.</span><br /><br />- - - - - - - - - - - -<br /><br /><div align="center"><b>COLLECTORS RIGHTS RESOLUTION</b><br /></div><br /><b>WHEREAS,</b> we believe that the U.S. Constitution, not the United Nations should be, where appropriate, the guide for the regulation of business and trade;<br /><br /><b>WHEREAS,</b> we also believe that a government that wishes to regulate the collecting hobbies of private citizens on behalf of foreign powers, especially if it involves the seizure or reclamation of property purchased in good faith has overstepped both the spirit and letter of the 4th, 5th and 11th Amendments of the Constitution;<br /><br /><b>RECOGNIZING</b> that the numismatic trade provides many fine families with their means of income, and also creates numerous jobs in support industries, key to states such as Wisconsin where companies publish books, manufacture coin and stamp holders, binders, software and other supplies that support the collectibles hobby;<br /><br /><b>WHEREAS,</b> we believe that import restrictions and cultural property laws may have the unintended consequences of driving hundreds of family businesses into ruin and also criminalize the hobbies and educational activities of numerous law abiding citizens;<br /><br /><b>WHEREAS,</b> we support reasonable efforts to protect archaeological sites and public and private collections, we oppose the claims of those who say: (a) Anything “old” should be considered state property; (b) Anything without a detailed ownership history should be deemed stolen; and (c) Only foreign states and their favored academics should have the right to preserve, protect and study the past.<br /><br /><b>THEREFORE</b> we reject recent efforts to restrict the collecting of art, books, coins, pottery, stamps, weapons and other common antique collectibles over 100 years old;<br /><br /><b>THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED</b> that the Republican Party of Wisconsin, in convention assembled, asks lawmakers to oppose any import restrictions or other constraints on the collecting of art, books, coins, militaria, pottery, stamps, weapons and other common antique collectibles as a waste of valuable government resources.<br /><br /><b>BE IT ALSO RESOLVED</b> that the Republican Party of Wisconsin, in convention assembled, asks lawmakers to pass a bill exempting art, books, coins, militaria, pottery, stamps, weapons and other common antique collectibles for consideration from future import restriction and cultural property laws and treaties.<br /><br />- - - - - - - - - - - -<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Other Relevant Links</span><br /><br />Ancient Coin Collecting (blog by Numismatic Author <a href="http://www.accg.us/about/officers/wayne-g-sayles">Wayne Sayles</a>)<a href="http://ancientcoincollecting.blogspot.com/"><br />http://ancientcoincollecting.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br />P.S. - be sure to read Wayne's entry <a href="http://ancientcoincollecting.blogspot.com/2010/03/guarding-america.html">Guarding America?</a><br /><br />Cultural Property Observer (blog by Lawyer <a href="http://www.accg.us/about/officers/peter-tompa">Peter Tompa</a>, a Cultural Artifact Atty.)<a href="http://culturalpropertyobserver.blogspot.com/"><br />http://culturalpropertyobserver.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br />Ancient Coins (blog by Coin Dealer <a href="http://www.accg.us/about/officers/david-welsh">Dave Welsh</a>)<a href="http://classicalcoins.blogspot.com/"><br />http://classicalcoins.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br />TTFN,<br /><br />Jim McGarigle<br />Polymath Numismatics<br /><br />My Ebay Store<br /><a href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera">http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera</a><br /><br />My Myspace Page<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy">http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy</a><br /><br />My eBay 'ME' Page<br /><a href="http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics">http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">My Coin Groups</span><br /><br /><span class="ygrp-grdescr">Ancient & Medieval Coins<br /><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ancientandmedievalcoins/">http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ancientandmedievalcoins</a><br /><br />World Coin Collecting<br /><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WorldCoinCollectingMod/">http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WorldCoinCollectingMod</a><br /><br /></span><span class="ygrp-grdescr">Indian Coins and Banknotes<br /><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IndianCoinsandBanknotes/">http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IndianCoinsandBanknotes</a><br /></span><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-23106142846082716532009-04-18T19:36:00.000-07:002009-04-18T19:46:44.257-07:00Fake Alert! China Does It Again!<h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div></div></div><br />Here is a terrific article that just came to my attention by <a href="http://coins.about.com/mbiopage.htm">Susan Headly</a>:<br /><br /><h1><a href="http://coins.about.com/od/worldcoins/ig/Chinese-Counterfeiting-Ring/"><span style="font-size:130%;">Inside a Chinese Coin Counterfeiting Ring</span></a></h1><h1><a href="http://coins.about.com/od/worldcoins/ig/Chinese-Counterfeiting-Ring/"><span style="font-size:100%;">Photos of Counterfeit Coin Dies, Minting Machinery, and Fake Coins</span></a></h1><div style="text-align: justify;">The frightening thing is the photos indicate to me the quality has dramatically improved over the laughable fakes they were turning out 1 and 2 years ago which had a very pewter-like appearance that would only fool newbie collectors. Before they were selling them all raw but now they are even selling slabbed fakes with PCGS and NGC holders. Pretty scary stuff.<br /><br />TTFN,<br /><br />Jim McGarigle<br />Polymath Numismatics<br />ANA, ANS, ACCG<br /><br />My Ebay Store<br /><a href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera">http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera</a><br /><br />My Myspace Page<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy">http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy</a><br /><br />My eBay 'ME' Page<br /><a href="http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics">http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics</a><br /><br />***25 Widows Mites - Dealer Lot***<br /><a href="http://www.ancientpeddler.com/auction/item.php?id=73" onmousedown="'return" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><span>http://www.ancientpeddler.</span><wbr><span class="word_break"></span>com/auction/item.php?id=73</a><br /></div><script type="text/javascript">h1 = document.getElementById("title").getElementsByTagName("h1")[0];h1.innerHTML = widont(h1.innerHTML);</script><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s1600-h/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022112869630302450" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-46901858059117871712009-04-09T15:42:00.000-07:002009-04-09T15:48:35.497-07:00FA / FS: BUY OR BID - ANCIENT & WORLD COINS ON EBAY<h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Greetings,<br /><br />I have not been posting much lately due to a sore shoulder (rotator cuff) but I have these ending over the weekend:<br /><br />PMN - 1875 NORWAY 5 ORE - ***THE KEY DATE*** - VF+<br /><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320357029450">http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320357029450</a><br /><br />PMN - TYRE PHOENICIA SHEKEL FRACTION/OBOL BIBLICAL<br /><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320357029450">http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320357029872</a><br /><br />PMN - 1918 GEORGE V PENNY - BETTER GRADE - BUY OR BID<br /><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320357030270">http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320357030270</a><br /><br />PMN - NICELY CENTERED WIDOW'S MITE - HENDIN 469<br /><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320357030927">http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320357030927</a><br /><br />PMN - 1925 AUSTRIA SCHILLING AU - 99¢ BUY OR BID NO RSV<br /><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320357031268">http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320357031268</a><br /><br />PMN - ELAGABALUS - NIKOPOLIS MOESIA INFERIOR - GRAPES<br /><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320357031905">http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320357031905</a><br /><br />PMN - 1964-G FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY ***KEY DATE***<br /><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320357032230">http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320357032230</a><br /><br />PMN - MANUEL I - BILLON TRACHY - BETTER EXAMPLE<br /><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320357032260">http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320357032260</a><br /><br />PMN - PHILIP I - ADVENTVS AVG - SHARP - FROSTY - EF+<br /><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320319363775">http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320319363775</a><br /><br />PMN - GETA AS CAESAR - AR DENARIUS - PONTIF COS II - EF<br /><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320286633959">http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320286633959</a><br /><br />PMN - BU/UNC - 1936 - BRITAIN - 3 PENCE - GEORGE V<br /><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320285441949">http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320285441949</a><br /><br />Thanks for looking!<br /><br />Jim McGarigle<br />Polymath Numismatics<br />ANA, ANS, ACCG<br /><br />My Ebay Store<br /><a href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera">http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera</a><br /><br />My Myspace Page<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy">http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy</a><br /><br />My eBay 'ME' Page<br /><a href="http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics">http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics</a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s1600-h/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022112869630302450" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-34593226838913190942009-03-19T14:38:00.000-07:002009-03-19T16:03:10.281-07:00Statism & Cultural Property Nationalism<h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br />Greetings,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Before I go any further, I want to thank my friends and colleagues <a href="http://ancientcoincollecting.blogspot.com/">Wayne <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Sayles</span></a>, <a href="http://classicalcoins.blogspot.com/">Dave Welsh</a> and <a href="http://culturalpropertyobserver.blogspot.com/">Peter <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Tompa</span></a> for always sticking up for me and encouraging me - even when it ticks off the '<a href="http://safecorner.savingantiquities.org/">powers that be</a>'. Every so often my name gets dragged through the mud by the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">CPN</span> crowd and I am not always around to defend my good name or to clarify what I said.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This article is <a href="http://coinarchaeology.blogspot.com/2009/02/police-action-with-antiquities-and.html">in reply to an leading statement</a> made by Nathan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Elkins</span> about 2 weeks back on his blog. Name calling has become a standard problem in the discussions (better described as arguments) that take place between private collectors and a certain brand of archaeologists. I grew tired of the banter, particularly from a certain Brit residing in Poland (who shall remain nameless) who has no interest in dialogue, just setting up straw men and tossing about red herrings. I have better things to do.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">But I usually had better luck with Nathan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Elkins</span>. Well, Nathan recently took something I said which was very philosophical and turned it into something else:<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">"<span style="font-style: italic;">It was not my purpose to “name names,” but if you insist I was thinking particularly of some of the uninformed and alarmist statements made by Mr. Welsh (Chair of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">ACCG</span>’s International Affairs Committee), who is listed among the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">ACCG</span>’s top officers on its <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">webpage</span> and who recently won an award from the group for his valued contributions and voice supporting “collectors rights.” <span style="font-weight: bold;">I also note that on his blog, Mr. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">McGarigle</span>, another dealer who has been honored by the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">ACCG</span> for advancing “collectors rights” in Wisconsin, seems to be comparing the current situation in Germany with the fascism of the 1930’s and 1940’s and Nazism.</span> That seems a bit over the top and alarmist to me. On the discussion lists, many collectors and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">ACCG</span> members themselves have been very panicked by the events in Germany and have made some very outlandish and alarmist statements. In my view, it seems telling that rather than rationalizing the dialogue, certain individuals associated with the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">ACCG</span> seem to be stoking it. In the midst of the current state of the alarmist discussions, you only made a plug for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">ACCG</span> membership on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Unidroit</span> list. If the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">ACCG</span> has in its leadership people who are engaging in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">alarmism</span> and has honored valued members who are now doing likewise, I would hope the organization would kindly rein them in if they are in fact misrepresenting the position, goals, or values of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">ACCG</span>.</span>" emphasis mine<br /><br /><a href="http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/2009/02/german-collections-are-being.html">Here is what I said</a>,<br /><br />"<span style="font-style: italic;">I'm not shocked or surprised to see this happening with </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://culturalpropertyobserver.blogspot.com/2009/01/dos-press-release-china-mou-new-york.html">China</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> which is a </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communism">communist</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> (and therefore </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://mises.org/story/3120"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">statist</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> and </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/totalitarianism">totalitarian</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> regime) government do this, for their government it is par for the course. Nor am I shocked that it is happening in Germany because they have flirted with fascism and gone back and forth with mild forms of socialism over the years. But it is still disturbing nonetheless because of the </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">precedent it sets for other governments to follow</span><span style="font-style: italic;">, they can point to Germany now and say, "they do it, why not us?</span>"<br /><br />There was more but the point is I did not use the words 'Nazi' or 'National Socialism' and what I said was said <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">in passing</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">philosophically</span> - and it was a statement of fact. What Nathan probably fails to understand is that here in America we have high standards of personal liberty. To the average American, a government that would actually come into a person's home and confiscate something like a coin collection sounds like something out of a George Orwell novel <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">or a</span> kooky conspiracy theory, to some of his archaeological colleagues it sounds like a rational remedy to private collecting.<br /><br />Not to beat a dead horse, but one of America's legal norms, the right to privacy in one's person and property and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">from the police</span> is part and parcel of our constitution and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution">3rd</a> article was born out of American colonists disdain for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartering_Act">the way British soldiers behaved</a> during the Revolutionary War. Experiences like that have given Americans a perspective that <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">there are some things a government just should not do</span>.<br /><br />Germany has had fascist and socialist governments. That is simply a fact. Fascism and Socialism are forms of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Statism</span>. In America citizens have Rights and Liberty but <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">government</span> is limited</span>. In much of Europe the converse is true.<br /><br />My post which made a passing reference to Germany's unfortunate history did not use the words 'Nazi' or 'National Socialism' or any other inflammatory terms. Nathan hypocritically called for reason and civility then placed words in my mouth that were never spoken and called me an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">alarmist</span>. What a crock. I used to think Nathan was a cut above the likes of his colleague in Poland but now I consider them both at an impasse for serious discussion.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Elkins</span> has clearly decided his meal ticket is in being a cultural property crusader and has <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">abandoned</span> rational discourse for partisan spin.<br /><br />And this is why I have put these jerks on *Ignore*<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Jim <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">McGarigle</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Polymath Numismatics</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">ANA ANS <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">ACCG</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">My <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Ebay</span> Store</span><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera">http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">My <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Myspace</span> Page</span><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy">http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">My eBay 'ME' Page</span><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics">http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics</a></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s1600-h/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022112869630302450" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-10382817456416939112009-02-01T14:34:00.000-08:002009-02-01T15:25:54.628-08:00German Collections are Being Confiscated. (Posted At UNIDROIT-L)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Greetings,<br /><br />These troublesome articles were posted recently on UNIDROIT-L:<br /><br />- - - - - - - - - - - -<br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">German Collections are Being Confiscated.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">[email deleted for privacy]</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Sorry, I can't translate the whole articles</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.fr-online.de/frankfurt_und_hessen/nachrichten/frankfurt/1655596_Kein-Raeuber-aber-ein-Kaempfer.html">http://www.fr-online.de/frankfurt_und_hessen/nachrichten/frankfurt/1655596_Kein-Raeuber-aber-ein-Kaempfer.html</a><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.mz-web.de/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=ksta/page&atype=ksArtikel&aid=1229852966388&openMenu=1012902958733&calledPageId=0">http://www.mz-web.de/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=ksta/page&atype=ksArtikel&aid=1229852966388&openMenu=1012902958733&calledPageId=0</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The German Numismatic Association is trying to stem the tide somewhat.</span><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.numismatische-gesellschaft.de/">http://www.numismatische-gesellschaft.de/</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I have translated part of their statement. It's not a pretty sight if</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">this is the solution to cultural property theft.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">[name deleted for privacy]</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Private collections have formed the seed from which a majority of museum collections have grown. Time after time, private collecting has provided important information and new discoveries for scholarly numismatics.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">This is why recent events have filled us with worry. Collecting, especially of medieval and ancient coins, has been accused as a criminal act; under the unjustifiable accusation that collecting is the result and cause of the illegal looting of archaeological sites around the world. The police conduct searches of homes, collections are confiscated, collectors are charged with smuggling. There is talk of a reduced legal rights for collectors.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">We cannot and will not allow coin collecting and dealing to become criminalized and therefore make the following clarification.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1. Collecting of ancient and medieval coins is not criminal. Documented provenance for every coin is not necessary. Still, we urge collectors to document their collections more than before even if they were acquired at coins shows or other venues.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">2. We support the protection of archaeological sites and historically significant coin finds. We understand coin hoards can have more worth than simply their financial worth.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">3. We oppose any theft of protected cultural property, demand in return, that collectors ,who buy coins over the Internet or elsewhere, in good faith with without intent to acquire stolen cultural property, are not charged with accepting stolen property. Confiscations of complete collections must be stopped. We oppose the behavior of the police in performing home searches and confiscation entire collections.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> - - - - - - - - - - - -<br /><br />COMMENTARY:<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">It is disturbing to see this development although not unexpected. Runaway government intrusion into the lives of innocent people over innocent activities is nothing new. </span></span><a href="http://www.constitution.org/law/bastiat.htm">Frederick Bastiat</a>, a French economist and political philosopher wrote about 'legal plunder' back in 1850 when he published a powerful little pamphlet titled simply <a href="http://www.constitution.org/law/bastiat.htm">The Law</a> which he wrote following the French Revolution of 1848.<br /><br />Whether you are a '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_libertarianism">civil liberties</a>' liberal or an '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism">anti-big-government</a>' conservative, somewhere in the middle or totally apolitical, the *one thing* <a href="http://accg.us/">coin collectors</a> need to <a href="http://www.accg.us/membership/join/">stand united</a> against is any intrusion by government to meddle in something that isn't worthy of government involvement. Coin collecting is certainly one of those things. When the government get's involved in harmless, innocent pastimes like people's hobbies - where does the government stop?<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm not shocked or surprised to see this happening with <a href="http://culturalpropertyobserver.blogspot.com/2009/01/dos-press-release-china-mou-new-york.html">China</a> which is a <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communism">communist</a> (and therefore <a href="http://mises.org/story/3120">statist</a> and <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/totalitarianism">totalitarian</a> regime) government do this, for their government it is par for the course. Nor am I shocked that it is happening in Germany because they have flirted with fascism and gone back and forth with mild forms of socialism over the years. But it is still disturbing nonetheless because of the <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">precedent it sets for other governments to follow</span>, they can point to Germany now and say, "they do it, why not us?"<br /><br />This is where the rubber hits the road for collectors. Do I want the government to suddenly be involved with and regulating my hobby at every turn or worse, do I want my hobby to turn into a criminal activity overnight?<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Jim McGarigle</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Polymath Numismatics</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">ANA, ANS, ACCG</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">My Ebay Store</span><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera">http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">My Myspace Page</span><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy">http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">My eBay 'ME' Page</span><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics">http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">My Coin Blog</span><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/">http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/</a><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022112869630302450" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-92121934338160945732009-01-16T22:41:00.000-08:002009-01-16T23:25:26.335-08:00What I got for Christmas<h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></h3><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here is what I got for Christmas:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.vcoins.com/ancient/coinindia/store/catalog/627.17LG.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 468px; height: 230px;" src="http://www.vcoins.com/ancient/coinindia/store/catalog/627.17LG.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><b style="font-family: georgia;"><br />INDO-SCYTHIAN, AZES II Silver tetradrachm, Zeus right type. CHOICE!</b><br /><br /><div style="font-family: georgia; text-align: justify;">Obverse: King mounted on horse right, holding whip, Kharoshthi letter de at right, Greek legend around: BAΣIΛEΩΣ BAΣIΛEΩN MEΓAΛOY / AZOY.<br /><br />Reverse: Zeus standing right, holding right hand outstretched, holding sceptre in left, monogram at left, Kharoshthi letter si right, Kharoshthi legend around: Maharajasa rajarajasa mahatasa / Ayasa.<br /><br />Date: c. 1st century BCE<br /><br />Weight: 9.73 gm.<br /><br />Diameter: 24 mm.<br /><br />Die axis: 2 o'clock<br /><br />Reference: MIG 828, Sen 99.67T<br /><br />Comments: Mitchiner identifies the deity on the reverse as Poseidon, perhaps on the strength of the trident-like sceptre, but Senior identifies the figure as Zeus. A CHOICE coin!<br /><br />A Note on the tetradrachms of Azes II: Azes II issued a wide array of tetradrachms that can be bewildering even to advanced collectors. The obverse is typically the so-called "KMW" or King mounted with whip. The reverses feature different deities: sometimes Zeus, sometimes Pallas Athena, sometimes a city goddess, and a given deity can be in different poses. The next criteria for differentiation is the monograms and/or letters on the reverse. Finally, there are distinguishing Kharoshthi letters on the obverse in front of the horse.<br /><br />Description by seller <a href="http://www.vcoins.com/ancient/coinindia/store/dynamicIndex.asp">CoinIndia</a>.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">I had one of these already but I wanted to upgrade when I saw this one on Vcoins and so I emailed the link to my wife who was kind enough to get it for me. In hand it looks nearly Mint-state, EF++ as my old dealer pal Mike Marx would say.<br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">S-W-E-E-T!<br /><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Jim McGarigle</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Polymath Numismatics</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">ANA, ANS, ACCG</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">My Ebay Store</span><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera">http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">My Myspace Page</span><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy">http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">My eBay 'ME' Page</span><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics">http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">My Coin Blog</span><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/">http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/</a><br /></div></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022112869630302450" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-24483477454765933642009-01-16T21:35:00.000-08:002009-01-16T23:27:21.319-08:00Holiday Hiatus Over!<h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></h3> <img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/JAMESM%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Greetings,<br /><br />The holidays are over (nearly over, my B-day is Wednesday the 21st) and so I have decide it was time I got back to work. <a href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera">I have auctions posted on eBay</a> and I am back to blogging on all things concerning ancient and world coins.<br /><br />There is a fairly new Yahoo group devoted to <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Biblical-Coinage/">Biblical coinage</a> (the <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biblicalcoins/">other one</a> is functionally a dead group) started by <a href="http://ancientpeddler.blogspot.com/">my friend Jerry</a> who has several other groups on Yahoo.<br /><br />As I sit here watching a rented DVD of The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor<br /><br /><img style="cursor: -moz-zoom-in; width: 68px; height: 102px;" alt="http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/mummy3intpoterhr.thumbnail.jpg" src="http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/mummy3intpoterhr.thumbnail.jpg" /><br /><br />it seems only appropriate that I mention the Pobjoy Mint on behalf of the Isle of Man is releasing a new Silver and Gold coin set commemorating the coming of the Terracotta Army to the British Museum (in London, I didn't know London was on the Isle of Man ;-)) They are the first coins that the Pobjoy Mint has made with a hole through the centre. The coins are part of an ongoing 'History of Man' series which started with the Tutankhamun collection (didn't know the Tut exhibit was on the Isle of Man either!).<br /><br /><img alt="The image “http://www.pobjoy.com/ukworld/shopimages/sections/normal2/terracotta%20373x207.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors." src="http://www.pobjoy.com/ukworld/shopimages/sections/normal2/terracotta%20373x207.jpg" /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ad=article&ArticleId=5897">More info here</a>.<br /><br />Thats all for now,<br /><br />Jim McGarigle<br />Polymath Numismatics<br />ANA, ANS, ACCG<br /><br />My Ebay Store<br /><a href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera">http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera</a><br /><br />My Myspace Page<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy">http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy</a><a href="http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy"><br /></a><br />My eBay 'ME' Page<br /><a href="http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics">http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics</a><br /><br />My Coin Blog<br /><a href="http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/">http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/</a><a href="http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022112869630302450" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-20589796661118364282008-11-29T11:09:00.000-08:002008-12-10T18:07:25.931-08:00Bible Numismatics 1: Jesus And The 30 Pieces Of Silver<h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/JAMESM%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br />Greetings,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Recently there has been a lively discussion going on at <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Moneta-L/">Moneta-L</a>, a <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/">Yahoo Group</a> for ancient coin collecting. It has been over the value of the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">30 pieces of silver</span> given for Jesus' life to Judas Iscariot by the 'Chief Priests' of the Jewish Temple. Here are the relevant passages:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Matthew 26:14</span> Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, <span style="font-weight: bold;">15</span> And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">thirty pieces of silver</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">16</span> And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him. <span style="font-style: italic;">King James Version (KJV)</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">and<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Matthew 27:1</span> When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: <span style="font-weight: bold;">2</span> And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. <span style="font-weight: bold;">3</span> Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">thirty pieces of silver</span> to the chief priests and elders, <span style="font-weight: bold;">4</span> Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. <span style="font-weight: bold;">5</span> And he cast down the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">pieces of silver</span> in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. <span style="font-weight: bold;">6</span> And the chief priests took the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">silver pieces</span>, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. <span style="font-weight: bold;">7</span> And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. <span style="font-weight: bold;">8</span> Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. <span style="font-weight: bold;">9</span> Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, And they took the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(192, 192, 192);">thirty pieces of silver</span>, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; <span style="font-weight: bold;">10</span> And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me. </span><span style="font-style: italic;">King James Version (KJV)</span><br /><br />The post started off here, you might have to be logged in as a member (free to join) to read the posts so I will copy the better posts here minus the author's names and with a few minor spelling and grammar changes:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1st Post</span><br /><br /><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Moneta-L/message/90409"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thirty Pieces of Silver in Today's Terms</span></a><br /><br />Dear List,<br /><br />I was at my local coin store today when the owner, who knows I'm a pastor, asked me if I knew what the infamous thirty pieces of silver from Jesus' betrayal might possibly be worth in today's currency - not in numismatic value, but in real earnings. In other words, how much would thirty shekels be in 2008 dollars.<br /><br />I didn't have a good answer for him so I said I'd ask.<br /><br />I know this is a vague and difficult question to answer, but are there educated guesses out there?<br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></div><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />- - - - - - - - - - - -<br /><br /></span><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Moneta-L/message/90416"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Re: [Moneta-L] Thirty Pieces of Silver in Today's Terms</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span>I think we are all in agreement that a denarius/drachma was about a days pay for a skilled laborer, so 30 pieces of Silver is equal to about 120 days pay, but I believe this was based on a low standard of living - more like the 3rd world today.<br /><br />A good point for value reference is in 1st century AD (outside Rome) it would have cost about 100 Denari (200 Denari in Rome) to buy a years supply of wheat, oil and wine (basics) for a family of 4.<br /><br />Here are some actual rates in 1st century Rome (before Nero)<br /><br />Secretary =15 Denari/month<br />Lecturer =12 Denari/month<br />Messenger = 9 Denari/month<br />Fortune Teller = 10 Denari/month<br />Legionary = 20 Denari/month<br />Praetorian = 60 Denari/month<br /><br />Prices in Rome<br /><br />A Modius (6.67 kg) of wheat cost 32 AS (Rome), in the provinces about 1/2 that and 1/4 in rural areas<br />Loaf of Bread = 2 AS<br />Sextarius (1/2 liter of table wine) = 1 - 5 AS<br />Sextarius of fine wine = up to 30 AS<br />Public Bath = 1/4 AS<br />1 cloth tunic = 15 Sestersi<br />1 donkey = 500 Sestersi<br />1 slave = 500 denari<br />1 morgan(?) of land 250 denari<br /><br />Prices as posted in Pompey<br /><br />1 modium rye = 3 Sestersi<br />1 litra (1/3 kg oil) = 1 Sestersi<br />1 loaf of bread (+/- 1 lb)= 1 AS<br />1/2 liter of table wine = 1 AS<br />1 pot = 1 AS<br />1 dish = 1 AS<br />1 Oil Lamp = 1 AS<br />1 tunic cloth = 15 Sestersi<br />1 bucket = 8 AS<br />Criminal Fine = 25 Sestersi<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> I believe when talking about a denarius or drachma a day we must consider that this is a society where you could buy a slave for 500 Denarius so labor wages had to be competitive with slave labor. In Rome if it cost 200 Denarius a year just for basic food - a Denarius a day would not have been a very high standard of living.<br /><br />One Roman writer (I forget who it was) says he would need 2500 denarii a year to maintain a middle class life style in Rome.<span style="font-family:TITUS Cyberbit Basic;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" ></span></span><br /><br />- - - - - - - - - - - -<br /><br /><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Moneta-L/message/90435"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Re:Thirty Pieces of Silver in Today's Terms </span></a><br /><br />On Passover night, the Jews have a long elaborate meal combined with narrative about the exodus from Egypt. At the very end, there is a song, the refrain for which is "one kid (i.e. a small goat used for the Passover sacrifice) which my father bought for two zuzim". A zuz is ~ to a denarius (in the time of Bar Kochva, ~131-135 ce) the zuzim were overstruck on Roman denarii. It's denomination is 1/4 shekel. So a shekel would buy 2 goats with a maximum age of one year old. I never bought a goat, but a 55kg (121 pound) sheep/lamb cost me in Israel ~$250 US. I think that they are cheaper in the United States.<br /><br />- - - - - - - - - - - -<br /><br /><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Moneta-L/message/90445"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Re:Thirty Pieces of Silver in Today's Terms</span></a><br /><br />Afaik the legend tells us not what became of the proceeds, but 14oz of silver would provide Thanksgiving dinner for dozens of our destitute brethren, those said to be first in the heart of the hero betrayed.<br /><br />Relating this tale of ancient coins to our own lives has been thought-provoking and fun.<br /><br />Today we count blessings that can't be equaled in silver.<br /><br />Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.<br /><br />- - - - - - - - - - - -<br /><br />The coin in question is most likely the Shekel of Tyre, I have a very corroded one in my own collection which I recieved from a British dealer who mistook it for a tetradrachm of Elagabalus for a mere £5 GBPs ($10 USD at the time) :<br /><br /><a href="http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa310/Polymath_Numismatics/Biblical%20Coins%20-%20Other/?action=view&current=Shekel_Tyre_Med.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 428px; height: 214px;" src="http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa310/Polymath_Numismatics/Biblical%20Coins%20-%20Other/Shekel_Tyre_Med.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here is a <a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=8389&AucID=20&Lot=941">better one</a> from the lifetime of Christ (4/5 A.D.) :<br /><br /><img style="width: 428px; height: 200px;" alt="http://imagedb.coinarchives.com/img/cng/060/enlarged/600941.jpg" src="http://imagedb.coinarchives.com/img/cng/060/enlarged/600941.jpg" /><br /><br />Here is what 30 (mixed dates) would have looked like:<br /><br /><img style="cursor: -moz-zoom-in;" alt="http://imagedb.coinarchives.com/img/cng/063/enlarged/630711.jpg" src="http://imagedb.coinarchives.com/img/cng/063/enlarged/630711.jpg" height="465" width="311" /><br /><a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=48571&AucID=52&Lot=711">Full Lot Description here</a>.<br /><br />More profound than the coins themselves, the price seems related to the cost of living in real terms. It is folly to translate the value of something like 30 tetradrachms into 2008 dollars as if we could just crank it through a <a href="http://www.xe.com/ucc/convert.cgi">currency converter</a> or <a href="http://www.monex.com/monex/controller?pageid=prices">tabulate the value of silver or gold</a> then and now. But a skilled laborer, someone like today's Nurse or Tool and Die Maker, take what they make per day, times 4, times 30 and you begin to get a handle on it. I did some of my own calculations based upon when my wife was a nurse and it came out to about a 1/2 a years wages.<br /><br />Would you kill a close, faithful friend or sell your soul for 6 months of what you earn?<br /><br />Jim McGarigle<br />Polymath Numismatics<br />ANA, ANS, ACCG<br /><br />My Ebay Store<br /><a href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera">http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera</a><br /><br />My Myspace Page<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy">http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy</a><br /><br />My eBay 'ME' Page<br /><a href="http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics">http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics</a><br /><br />My Coin Blog<br /><a href="http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/">http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s1600-h/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022112869630302450" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-46174882467486695142008-11-24T14:15:00.000-08:002008-12-10T18:07:25.963-08:00New eBay Policy - No Personal Checks<h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/JAMESM%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br />Greetings,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I have got this real love/hate thing with <a href="http://ebay.com/">eBay</a>. Some days I make OK money selling on it and other days it does these <span style="font-weight: bold;">stupid things</span> that make me want to scream! Today is one of those days. I <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320319363775">updated a fixed price listing to accept 'Best Offers'</a> and toward the end (when the item was listed) I was told I had an unacceptable form of payment listed. Huh?<br /><br />Long ago I had cleaned up my auction listing terms of any references to <a href="http://www.westernunion.com/info/selectCountry.asp">Western Union</a>, <a href="http://www.authorize.net/bidpay">Bidpay</a>, <a href="http://www.greenzap.com/">Greenzap</a> and all the other forms of payment I used to take. I find it pretty remarkable that the U.S. government would allow eBay to bar the use of Cash (printed by the government and still legal tender last time I checked) or Money Orders (also printed by the government at the Post Office) and ONLY allowing <a href="http://www.paypal.com/">Paypal</a> and <a href="https://epay.propay.com/">ProPay</a> (essentially private banking companies).<br /><br />I mean, isn't there a U.S. law about merchants having to accept cash if offered since it is legal tender? I'd like to hear from anybody who knows one way or the other in the comments.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">And . . . if you think this new policy is inconvenient bullsh**, feel free to <a href="http://contact.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ShowCUPortal">contact eBay</a> and tell them it is.<br /><br />Jim McGarigle<br />Polymath Numismatics<br />ANA, ANS, ACCG<br /><br />My Ebay Store<br /><a href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera">http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera</a><br /><br />My Myspace Page<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy">http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy</a><br /><br />My eBay 'ME' Page<br /><a href="http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics">http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics</a><br /><br />My Coin Blog<br /><a href="http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/">http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s1600-h/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022112869630302450" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-11148366349234288932008-11-23T19:39:00.000-08:002008-12-10T18:07:25.978-08:002008 - A Year of Hoards<h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/JAMESM%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br />Greetings,<br /><br />2008 was certainly a year of hoards.<br /><br />1st there was the hoard found in January (or at least reported then) from Gainsborough, UK during the construction of the <a href="http://www.topgroup.co.uk/aqadmin/media/uploads/47ab3cfc00257_BHS_Pressrelease_jan08.pdf">Gainsborough Hotel & Thermal Spa</a>.<br /><br />Then there was a <a href="http://www.coinlink.com/News/ancients/gaulish-coin-hoard-is-france%E2%80%99s-biggest-ever/">hoard of Gaulish coins</a> in February as well as some <a href="http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=31113">Roman Republican coins found in Bulgaria</a>.<br /><br />Then <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/04/080408-viking-hoard.html">a Viking era hoard of mainly Middle-Eastern coins in Sweden</a> in April.<br /><br />And then in the fall we had <a href="http://www.nrc.nl/international/article2059681.ece/Ancient_Celtic_coin_cache_found">Celtic and Germanic coins in a cornfield in the southern Dutch city of Maastricht</a>, about <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_east/7699953.stm">6,000 copper alloy coins were found buried in two pots in Wales</a> , a number of <a href="http://www.russia-ic.com/news/show/7280/">thin silver coins in Novgorod</a>, Russia.<br /><br />And of course there was the find uncovered by <a href="http://www.i4u.com/article9015.html">Odyssey of over 500,000 silver and several hundred gold coins</a>. One of the largest finds ever.<br /><br />I am sure I am missing some others but suffice it to say as the year draws to a close this has been an exciting year for coin finds.<br /><br />Jim McGarigle<br />Polymath Numismatics<br />ANA, ANS, ACCG<br /><br />My Ebay Store<br /><a href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera">http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera</a><br /><br />My Myspace Page<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy">http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy</a><br /><br />My eBay 'ME' Page<br /><a href="http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics">http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics</a><br /><br />My Coin Blog<br /><a href="http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/">http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s1600-h/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022112869630302450" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-11887201495367307982008-11-07T15:05:00.000-08:002008-12-10T18:07:25.990-08:00The Final Reply Paul Would Not Post<h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/JAMESM%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /></div></div></div></div><br />Greetings gentle readers,<br /><br />As you may know, Paul often edits or <a href="http://paul-barford.blogspot.com/2008/11/stupid-archaeologists-why-dont-they.html">simply does not print my replies to him</a>. It's his blog and that is his right but he then goes on to say what I said was off topic and so on with the usual distortions . . . sigh, whatever. Here is my last reply he just wouldn't print:<br /><br />- - - - - - - - - - - -<br /><br />Greetings,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I think Shanks is right, no method currently employed stops looting, if anything the current laws encourage it. The looters are making money selling what they find. It would be better for those areas to be professionally dug and the artefacts professionally conserved and for archaeologists to make money and fund the needs archaeology has like site security, documentation, etc.<br /><br />I know you are concerned about digging for digging's sake in order to produce items which collectors want. I hold that concern in common with you and that is why I would prefer it be done by professionals instead of reckless looters. Then it can be done professionally and be taxed & regulated by the government.<br /><br />As for telling tens of thousands of ancient coin collectors to give up their hobby - you would have just as much luck changing human nature, making water dry or making fog transparent. It was once opined that there were (conservatively) 50,000 serious ancient coin collectors in North America (U.S. & Canada) alone and that was several years ago and did not really account for those who only buy lots of uncleaned coins because back at the time, those people were not considered 'serious collectors' by dealers.<br /><br />You can't change human nature, you need to create laws that work with human nature. I know when I took anthropology one of my key disagreements with the discipline was that it viewed human nature as either plastic or a soup of heredity & environment. I don't discount hereditary or environmental factors in how a person turns out but I feel there are certain things that are fixed about us and not subject to change and I think the desire to acquire is one of them.<br /><br />I had an International Relations professor at my university who was Polish and was involved in Solidarity in the 1980s. He was neither left or right politically but one thing he was convinced of was how the Soviet system was entirely at war with human nature. The idea of rejecting the family in favor of the state, private property for collective property and so on.<br /><br />You cannot get rid of collectors and not all items are of equal significance. It would be better to have a fully licit market which allows for private ownership of items of minor significance with incentives for following the law and disincentives for breaking it.<br /><br />You don't like my solution and I don't like yours and this is the crux of the problem. I think my proposal is a very good middle ground (obviously it is someplace in the middle as some dealers rejected it as too complicated and/or labor intensive) because it allows collecting minor items (coins) to continue but also empowers archaeologists to have a hand in regulation and implementation.<br /><br />I am no apologist for the uber-rich collector of priceless national treasures. I am not the defender of people who break heads off of statues, steal icons out of Churches or cuts reliefs off monuments. That said however, I do not think it serves anyone to refuse to study or publish items that do not have a provenance. As Hershel Shanks noted, the Dead Sea Scrolls were taken from their context and look what we have learnt from those.<br /></div><br />Jim<br /><br />- - - - - - - - - - - - -<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Since Paul is in the habit of quoting me out of context, editing my replies and putting words in my mouth I have gotten into the habit of copying and pasting my replies to him into txt documents because otherwise he plays these games.<br /><br />I've had much more civil exchanges with <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/13060145336179440359">Nathan Elkins</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/13164794689385933318">David Gill</a>. I don't think all archaeologists who are concerned with cultural property issues are obnoxious or closeminded like Barford, nor as ideological. I am sure they look at some of my colleagues and have similar thoughts.<br /><br />Nuff said for now,<br /><br />Jim McGarigle<br />Polymath Numismatics<br />ANA, ANS, ACCG<br /><br />My Ebay Store<br /><a href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera">http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera</a><br /><br />My Myspace Page<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy">http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy</a><br /><br />My eBay 'ME' Page<br /><a href="http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics">http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics</a><br /><br />My Coin Blog<br /><a href="http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/">http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s1600-h/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022112869630302450" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-81303797430798887122008-11-06T23:30:00.000-08:002008-12-10T18:07:26.010-08:00Collectors - Few and Anachronous? - A Possible Cultural Divide?<h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/JAMESM%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /></div></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">One last critique of what <a href="http://paul-barford.blogspot.com/2008/11/stupid-archaeologists-why-dont-they.html">Paul Barford said in his latest posting</a> about collecting antiquities (including ancient coins):<br /></div><br />(Quoting me--->) <i>“Humans are acquisitive by nature, many people collect something”. </i><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">”Many” maybe, but in fact the majority do not. In addition, the majority of people who take an interest in the past read books or indulge their interest in other ways, they do not buy looted artefacts. Portable antiquity collectors are an anachronous and erosive minority, taking for their own personal entertainment and profit that which modern archaeology says should form the basis of knowledge available to all. It is as simple as that, </span><b style="font-family: arial;">it is a matter of conservation of a finite resource and not any “property laws” </b><span style="font-family:arial;">. </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The majority do not collect? How does that square with 'many'? Doesn't 'many' imply more than a few? There is also this problem of 'looted artefacts'. It is as if to say all artefacts are looted. This is the archaeological 'Party Line' of course but it is not the truth.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I went on eBay and did an open search under 'Collectibles' and came up with 2,123,906 hits - just for U.S. listings. Then I did it again for 'Coins and Paper Money' and came up with 286,069 items - once again this is only for the U.S. eBay website. Next I did 'Stamps' and came up with 206,562 hits. I did 'Antiquarian & Collectible Books' and came up with 103,342 hits - once again for U.S. listings only.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Another reality check, both the U.S. and U.K. have highly rated T.V. shows with large followings on antique (or antiquity by <a href="http://www.unidroit.org/english/conventions/1995culturalproperty/1995culturalproperty-e.htm">UNIDROIT legal norms</a>) collecting such as the <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/index.html">Antiques Road Show</a> in the U.S. and <a href="http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/74/index.jsp">Cash In The Attic</a> which is broadcast in both the U.K. and the U.S.<br /><br />Mr. Barford can assert what he wants to about collectors but it does not make it true, it certainly does not mesh well with the hard evidence.<br /><br />I mean, I know you want to try to marginalize us (collectors) with every verbal weapon you can Paul, but frankly when you try to pull off this kind of nonsense you look and sound pretty damn foolish. OR - maybe we are both half-right - maybe since you have been living in a former communist country for some time you don't see collections and collectors regularly like I do here in the U.S. and don't realize the volume of people who actually collect and the volume of those collections. Maybe you and I have a culturally created gap in our human experience.<br /><br />I know there is a wide gulf between some Europeans and America in regards to intellectual property. Years ago when Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software was new, a friend of mine and some colleagues of his were going to take the full German edition of Luther's Works and scan it and then translate it and publish both the English and German together electronically. Here in America after a certain amount of time, any book, film or song goes into the 'public domain'. My friend and his colleagues were prevented from doing their work because of German copyright law even though the books themselves were well over 100 years old and the publisher was out of business.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">If this gulf is insurmountable then the problem will remain where it is right now ad infinitum like a car with it's tires stuck in the mud - wheels spinning vigorously but going nowhere.<br /></div><br />TTFN,<br /><br />Jim McGarigle<br />Polymath Numismatics<br />ANA, ANS, ACCG<br /><br />My Ebay Store<br /><a href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera">http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera</a><br /><br />My Myspace Page<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy">http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy</a><br /><br />My eBay 'ME' Page<br /><a href="http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics">http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics</a><br /><br />My Coin Blog<br /><a href="http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/">http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s1600-h/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022112869630302450" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-11501064833365528562008-11-06T22:52:00.002-08:002008-12-10T18:07:26.032-08:00A Reply To Paul<h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/JAMESM%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br />Gee, as usual Paul <a href="http://paul-barford.blogspot.com/2008/11/stupid-archaeologists-why-dont-they.html">you said so much</a> I hardly know where to begin but let me take a stab.<br /></div></div><br />OK - for one thing, you just simply <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">don't want a legal outlet for antiquity sales</span>, you said,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:arial;">"Furthermore, Shanks describes the editorial policies of some journals not to enhance the value of looted items in the market by allowing their publication in those journals as "even stupider" and labels it an "the avert-the-eyes strategy". He seems not to regognise that it is a policy which has its eyes firmly on the </span><b style="font-family: arial;"> legitimising effects </b><span style="font-family:arial;"> of scholarly interest in a looted item. So what is Shanks' idea of how to deal with the pronblem? </span><b style="font-family: arial;"> Well, somewhat incongruously, it is not only legitimising the market, but taking part in it.</b><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family:arial;">Compete with the looters. Professional archaeologists should professionally excavate areas subject to looting—and fund their excavations by selling the “loot.” "</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">So it is safe to say <span style="font-weight: bold;">you do not want a legitimate, legal market</span>. You want to maintain the status quo which only feeds looting. I have proposed a solution to the problem of looting and your colleague Nathan Elkins liked my idea as contained in these 2 posts:<br /></div><br /><a href="http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/2008/07/coins-and-cultural-property-solution.html">http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/2008/07/coins-and-cultural-property-solution.html</a><br /><br /><a href="http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/2008/07/coins-and-cultural-property-solution_30.html">http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/2008/07/coins-and-cultural-property-solution_30.html</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">While Shanks did not outline his position in detail, he is aiming in the same direction as I am which is to have a rational, legal & regulated antiquities market which includes professional archaeological training. I can think of numerous reasons why I'd prefer to get ancient coins from an archaeologist or a trained amateur as opposed to a mere looter:<br /></div><br />1) Following the law - self explanatory, I already do that but not everyone does.<br /><br />2) Care taken with the object[s]<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I once got some copper coins from India that were cleaned in gasoline. It ruined the surfaces of many of the coins. I'd rather have a person with good conservation skills handling coins (and other objects).<br /></div><br />3) Provenance - coins with provenance will command a better price.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm going to ignore all the false words you put into my mouth and all the ideas you say I subscribe to. You are talking out of your ideology as usual. I'm just not going to respond to all that claptrap.<br /><br />About Shanks opinion, good opinions (articles) are worth sharing and repeating. I expanded on what Shanks said that appealed to me and left the rest to stand as is because I did not think I had to add to it. Well stated ideas stand on their own.<br /><br />I think one thing you really fail to address is the status quo of existing prohibitive, statist laws and how they just don't seem to work. This is where people who hold to your point of view on this topic really have blinders on, haveyour head in the sand and remind me of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_wise_monkeys">3 monkeys see-no-evil, hear-no-evil & speak-no-evil. </a><br /><br /><img style="cursor: -moz-zoom-in; width: 227px; height: 170px;" alt="http://unity2008.org/911/CTW_html_ea7da88.jpg" src="http://unity2008.org/911/CTW_html_ea7da88.jpg" /><br /></div><br />Finally, when Shanks said,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b> <span style="font-family:arial;">"I call this the avert-the-eyes strategy. Don’t look at it. Needless to say, this strategy has had absolutely no effect on looting, although it makes a major contribution to the self-righteous feeling of those who adopt it." </span></b><br /><br />I think there he hit the nail on the head. The current status quo of archaeology DOES NOTHING but give a warm, fuzzy feeling of righteousness and self-satisfaction to it's subscribers.<br /></div><br />TTFN,<br /><br />Jim McGarigle<br />Polymath Numismatics<br />ANA, ANS, ACCG<br /><br />My Ebay Store<br />http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera<br /><br />My Myspace Page<br />http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy<br /><br />My eBay 'ME' Page<br />http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics<br /><br />My Coin Blog (New)<br />http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s1600-h/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022112869630302450" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-49572890706917193382008-11-06T14:54:00.000-08:002008-12-10T18:07:26.044-08:00Shanks Is Still Right . . . And Barford Is Wrong<h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/JAMESM%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div></div><a href="http://paul-barford.blogspot.com/2008/11/stupid-archaeologists-why-dont-they.html">Paul Barford recently said this</a>,<br /><br />I wrote what is below as a reply.<br /><br />- - - - - - - - - - - -<br /><br /><a href="http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/2008/11/hershel-says-obvious.html">Shanks is right</a>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The current practice of many archaeologists does not work where the rubber hits the road. It makes many archaeologists feel good if not righteous but it does not solve the problem of looting. It fails the basic test of where the rubber hits the road.<br /><br />The UK has a rational approach, not perfect but still rational as it acknowledges basic human nature. While the world does have it's occasional <a href="http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1979/teresa-bio.html">Mother Theresa</a> it has for more <a href="http://www.trumpuniversity.com/">Donald Trump</a>s (to use a grotesque example). Humans are acquisitive by nature, many people collect something. There is a reason we have private property laws in free countries but not in totalitarian ones. In totalitarian societies, the powerful control the government and rob the people (some like to call it redistribution of wealth) as a matter of law. In free countries the people have their private property protected as a matter of law - but I digress.<br /><br />When I took philosophy our prof put the old saw of a question to us, "If a tree falls in the woods and there is no one there, does it make any sound?" I said of course it does, there is just nobody nearby to hear it. A friend of mine who had bought into <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frege">Frege</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kant">Kant</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wittgenstein">Wittgenstein</a>, et al (skeptical philosophers) said the tree did not make any sound because there was no one there to hear it. This is precisely what archaeologists who support the status quo are doing. They are taking a see-no-evil (don't acknowledge), speak-no-evil (don't publish), hear-no-evil (don't read about) approach to unprovenanced antiquities. Now I don't know if to be an archaeologist these days you must be a practitioner of '<a href="http://www.thesecret.tv/">The Secret</a>' but I must say the archaeological community is certainly exercising what my old anthropology profs used to call '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_thinking">magical thinking</a>' - <a href="http://www.iep.utm.edu/b/berkeley.htm">don't acknowledge it and it will go away. </a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I think legalizing and regulating antiquity sales would be far more preferable . . . but it might not give the archaeologists that warm, fuzzy feeling inside.<br /></div></div><br />- - - - - - - - - - - -<br /><br />TTFN,<br /><br />Jim McGarigle<br />Polymath Numismatics<br />ANA, ANS, ACCG<br /><br />My Ebay Store<br />http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera<br /><br />My Myspace Page<br />http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy<br /><br />My eBay 'ME' Page<br />http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics<br /><br />My Coin Blog (New)<br />http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s1600-h/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022112869630302450" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><span class="post-author vcard"><span class="fn"></span></span><span class="post-timestamp"><a class="timestamp-link" href="http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/2008/11/hershel-says-obvious.html" rel="bookmark" title="permanent link"><abbr class="published" title="2008-11-04T11:25:00-08:00"></abbr></a></span><span class="post-comment-link"><a class="comment-link" href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5111794618794185081&postID=7442479229638269121" onclick=""><br /></a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-74424792296382691212008-11-04T11:25:00.000-08:002008-12-10T18:07:26.062-08:00Hershel Says The Obvious<h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/JAMESM%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /></div><br />Greetings,<br /><br />1st things 1st, <span style="font-weight: bold;">full disclosure</span> - I have been a longtime fan of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hershel_Shanks">Hershel Shanks</a> and a subscriber of his flagship publication <a href="http://www.bib-arch.org/bar/">BAR Magazine</a> since the mid-1980s.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hershel_Shanks">Hershel Shanks</a> has long taken heat for at least indirectly advocating the private ownership of antiquities (the magazine sometimes carries ads from antiquity dealers) but now he just says it plainly:<br /><br />- - - - - - - - - - - - -<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;" class="DateLine"><b> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%27javascript:OpenAbbrev%28" abbrevid="309&SourcePage=" asp="">BAR</a></b> 34:06, Nov/Dec 2008</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;" class="title">First Person: A Radical Proposal</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;" class="subtitle">Why don’t the archaeologists join the looters?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;" class="author">By Hershel Shanks<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;" class="pict imgleft"><a class="image" href="http://www.blogger.com/%27javascript:OpenImage%28" pubid="BSBA&Volume=" issue="06&ImageID=" sourcepage="article.asp"><img src="http://www.basarchive.org/bswb_graphics/BSBA/34/06/BSBA340600600.jpg" alt="Picture" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">“Profits are phenomenal, and looters are running riot,” says Giorgio Gligoris, head of Greece’s police squad set up to combat antiquities trafficking. He’s right! That’s one thing on which all agree, whether it’s the Mayan jungle, Etruscan tombs, Iraq’s cuneiform tablets, Mediterranean coastal waters or sites in the West Bank.<br /><br /></div></div><div> </div>But that’s about as far as agreement goes: Antiquities looting is rampant!<br /><br /><div> </div>The archaeological establishment’s principal suggestion that will supposedly stop the looting is—well, not to put too fine a point on it—stupid. “Don’t buy looted antiquities” is the strategy. Admittedly, if there were no market for looted antiquities, looting would stop. If the looters could not sell their loot, they would discontinue looting.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div>But the only effect of this policy is to send the looted objects to buyers who will put the loot in their living rooms instead of in museums—so we, the public, will never see it.<div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><br />The second strategy adopted by the archaeological establishment is even stupider: Forbid study by scholars of looted objects. This policy is not enunciated directly, but is carried out by scholarly organizations that will not allow articles about looted objects in their publications and will not allow papers on looted objects to be presented at their scholarly conferences. This is the policy, for example, of the Archaeological Institute of America, the major American organization of archaeologists. It is also true of the American Schools of Oriental Research, the major American organization of Near Eastern archaeologists. This policy was recently adopted by the Israel Exploration Journal but was promptly abandoned when a paper on an exciting new looted inscription was submitted to it.<a class="note" href="http://www.blogger.com/%27javascript:OpenNote%28" pubid="BSBA&Volume=" issue="06&ArticleID=" notetype="1&NoteID=" sourcepage="article.asp"><sup>1</sup></a><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><br />I call this the avert-the-eyes strategy. Don’t look at it. Needless to say, this strategy has had absolutely no effect on looting, although it makes a major contribution to the self-righteous feeling of those who adopt it. It also has the additional effect of depriving the public (including scholars) of the valuable information that even looted objects can impart. As I like to say, looted objects may be worth less because they were ripped from their context, but they are not worthless. Indeed some of them, like the Dead Sea Scrolls, have actually transformed our understanding of aspects of history.<div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><br />So here is my radical proposal. It may not solve the problem completely, but at least it makes economic sense.<div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><br />Compete with the looters. Professional archaeologists should professionally excavate areas subject to looting—and fund their excavations by selling the “loot.” After all, we are assured by Giorgio Gligoris, “profits are phenomenal.” The “loot” from these professional excavations must, of course, be available for study and publication. And we will always know where they are in an open market—just as we know about the location of a Renoir painting.<div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><br />Moreover, much of this professionally excavated loot will end up in museums. Indeed, museums will be some of the prime purchasers—with money provided by their benefactors. Other pieces will later be donated to museums by private purchasers. Such gifts provide the donor with a tax deduction in many countries—a nice inducement.<div style="text-align: justify;"> <!-- ##PageSplit## --> </div><br />I recall a conversation I had with the current president of the Archaeological Institute of America, Brian Rose (before he became president). He had just given a paper decrying the looting of a rich tumulus in Turkey. There were several other tumuli at the site, so I suggested to Brian that professional archaeologists should excavate these other tumuli before the looters got hold of them; finance the dig through the sale of the artifacts to museums, where they would be available for study and publication. I’m sorry to say the suggestion had no appeal.<div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><br />Even if my suggestion would not substantially reduce looting, it would be good for human knowledge. We would have more wonderful artifacts to study and to interest the public in the past. Isn’t that what we’re about?<div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><br />But I am under no illusions. My suggestion here will no doubt fall on deaf ears.<br /><br />1) A paper by Yuval Goren on the recently surfaced inscription variously called “Gabriel’s Vision” and “Gabriel’s Revelation.” See Ada Yardeni, <a href="http://members.bib-arch.org/publication.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=34&Issue=01&ArticleID=16&UserID=0&" target="opener" onclick="pageTracker._link(this.href); returnFalse;">“A New Dead Sea Scroll in Stone,”</a> <b>BAR</b> 34:01, and Israel Knohl, <a href="http://members.bib-arch.org/publication.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=34&Issue=05&ArticleID=14&UserID=0&" target="opener" onclick="pageTracker._link(this.href); returnFalse;">“The Messiah Son of Joseph,”</a> <b>BAR</b> 34:05.<br /><br />- - - - - - - - - - - -<br /><br />No doubt about it Hershel.<br /><br />TTFN,<br /><br />Jim McGarigle<br />Polymath Numismatics<br />ANA, ANS, ACCG<br /><br />My Ebay Store<br />http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera<br /><br />My Myspace Page<br />http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy<br /><br />My eBay 'ME' Page<br />http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics<br /><br />My Coin Blog (New)<br />http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s1600-h/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022112869630302450" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-80857353553168493532008-10-16T19:37:00.000-07:002008-12-10T18:07:26.072-08:00The 1st US Bailout - Courtesy Early American Auctions<h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/JAMESM%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br />OK, a bit off-topic but - just an interesting little piece of <a href="http://www.earlyamerican.com/">Americana</a> to show we have been down this road before!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.earlyamerican.com/"><img src="http://www.earlyamerican.com/Auctions/Images/Bailout.ver-02.jpg" border="0" height="3058" width="543" /></a><br /><br />I guess one man's <a href="http://michellemalkin.com/2008/10/15/hey-chumps-why-are-you-still-paying-your-mortgages/">'worthless paper'</a> is another's collectible !<br /><br />TTFN,<br /><br />PS: I got a few <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontius_Pilate">Pontius Pilate</a> coins ending soon.<br /><br />Jim McGarigle<br />Polymath Numismatics<br />ANA, ANS, ACCG<br /><br />My Ebay Store<br />http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera<br /><br />My Myspace Page<br />http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy<br /><br />My eBay 'ME' Page<br />http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics<br /><br />My Coin Blog (New)<br />http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s1600-h/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022112869630302450" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;" class="post-footer"> <div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-1"> <span class="post-author vcard"><br /></span><span class="post-icons"><span class="item-control blog-admin pid-1077157667"><a href="post-edit.g?blogID=5111794618794185081&postID=1524466926739177777" title="Edit Post"> </a> </span> </span> </div> <div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-2"> <span class="post-labels"> </span> </div> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;" class="comments" id="comments"> <a name="comments"></a></div><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client="pub-0378744475975724"; google_ad_host="pub-1556223355139109"; google_ad_width=468; google_ad_height=60; google_ad_format="468x60_as"; google_ad_type="text"; google_color_border="FFFFFF"; google_color_bg="FFFFFF"; google_color_link="29303B"; google_color_url="473624"; google_color_text="1B0431"; //--></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-63546137859268715242008-09-29T03:54:00.000-07:002008-12-10T18:07:26.186-08:00Portugese Shipwreck Found Off Namibian Coast . . . With Gold Coins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/JAMESM%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Greetings,<br /><br />Check out these articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.coinlink.com/News/shipwrecks-treasure/namibian-govt-takes-over-ancient-shipwreck/">Namibian Govt takes over ancient shipwreck</a><br /><br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7634479.stm">Uncovering Namibia's sunken treasure</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,353738,00.html">Geologists Find Loaded Shipwreck Off Namibia Coast</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/tech/world/2008-05-01-shipwreck-namibia_N.htm">Shipwreck off Namibia is 500-year-old treasure trove<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-09-22-scientists-study-16thcentury-shipwreck-in-namibia">Scientists study 16th-century shipwreck in Namibia</a><br /><a href="http://channels.isp.netscape.com/whatsnew/gallery.jsp?floc=g-wnew_namibia_shipwreck1&gname=wnew_namibia_shipwreck&pi=4&grurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DNamibia%2Bshipwreck%2Bcoins%26ie%3Dutf-8%26oe%3Dutf-8%26aq%3Dt%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial%26client%3Dfirefox-a&photo=1&xad=true"><br />Namibia Shipwreck: Photo Gallery</a><br /><br />TTFN,<br /><br />Jim McGarigle<br />Polymath Numismatics<br />ANA, ANS, ACCG<br /><br />My Ebay Store<br /><a href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera">http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera</a><br /><br />My Myspace Page<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy">http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy</a><br /><br />My eBay 'ME' Page<br /><a href="http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics">http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics</a><br /><br />My Coin Blog<br /><a href="http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/">http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/</a><br /><span class="verdana"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/SJ7FVCPLpqI/AAAAAAAAAIo/YfvgKA7b37g/s1600-h/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/SJ7FVCPLpqI/AAAAAAAAAIo/YfvgKA7b37g/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232836782219568802" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-23251099600749825632008-08-28T18:41:00.000-07:002008-12-10T18:07:26.210-08:00ANA Establishes Government Affairs Committee<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/JAMESM%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Government Affairs Committee Established<br /><br /><img alt="http://assets.listpilot.net/images/money/Capitolrevised.jpg" src="http://assets.listpilot.net/images/money/Capitolrevised.jpg" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">ANA President Barry Stuppler has instituted a Governmental Affairs Committee. The committee was created to promote Association and coin collector interests in Washington, and keep members abreast of federal legislation that affects the hobby. Updates will be featured in The Numismatist and on <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.money.org">www.money.org</a>. The ANA thanks <a href="mailto:molanoff@comcast.net">Mark Olanoff</a> and <a href="mailto:dapiret@aol.com">Diane Piret</a> for co-chairing this new committee.<br /><br /><p><strong><em>ANA Legislative Update as of August 2, 2008</em></strong></p> <p>With the support of the Board of Governors, President Barry Stuppler created the ANA Government Affairs Committee and appointed <a href="mailto:molanoff@comcast.net">Mark Olanoff</a> and <a href="mailto:dapiret@aol.com">Diane Piret</a> as co-chairs. <a href="mailto:molanoff@comcast.net">Mark Olanoff</a> has 10 years of lobbying experience at the federal and state level. <a href="mailto:dapiret@aol.com">Diane Piret</a> has been an Industry expert for over 20 years and currently is employed by the <a href="http://www.ictaonline.org/">Industry Council for Tangible Assets</a> (ICTA).<br /></p>COMMENTARY:<br />------------------<br /><br />First off, I want to congratulate President Barry Stuppler on seeing a need and filling it by forming this committee. Some of us collectors have felt we are in a nearly adversarial relationship with the US government over the last decade. I also know the <a href="http://www.money.org/">ANA</a> and <a href="http://www.numismatics.org/">ANS</a> used to play a more active role in our government and it is nice to see that role being restored. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Coin and banknote collectors often have more collective wisdom about money than many of our politicians do and you can take that to the bank! </span>I also want to congratulate <a href="mailto:molanoff@comcast.net">Mark Olanoff</a> and <a href="mailto:dapiret@aol.com">Diane Piret</a> on their appointments and hope they are successful in their positions and wish them every success.<br /><br />But I must express this <span style="font-weight: bold;">one concern</span>. <a href="http://www.money.org/Content/NavigationMenu/AboutANA/BoardofGovernors2/Government_Affairs.htm">The page is full of bills</a> that mainly address possible new coin designs. What I would <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">also like to see</span> dealt with is the current struggle with the US State Dept and cultural property issues addressed too. As numismatists we need to stay united on these issues. Not all of us collect US money, plenty of us collect Ancient and Foreign / World coinage too. I hope that just because the <a href="http://accg.us/">ACCG</a> is doing so much on that front that the <a href="http://www.money.org/feedback/">ANA</a> won't neglect the concerns of other coin collectors.<br /><br />As cultural property laws continue to spread outside of the United States, Foreign / World coin and banknote collectors will begin to feel the squeeze just as ancient coin collectors already have. That a hobby as innocent as coin collecting <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">even needs to defend itself</span> from government action is an atrocious attack on personal freedom and an abuse of government power - and both US political parties can take a share of the blame.<br /><br />So while I am pleased to see the <a href="http://www.money.org/">ANA</a> taking a more active role in the hobby as it relates to government, I hope this new department won't only act as a committee for suggesting new collectible proof sets so that the government can 'cash in' on US coin collectors. Proof sets and other collectible issues do serve an important purpose in commemorating US History and Americana in general but that shouldn't be sole focus of our hobby.<br /><br />We are in another '<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 0);">golden age</span>' of coin collecting <span style="font-weight: bold;">right now</span> because of the perfect storm of forces at work in history right now:<br /><br /><ul><li>New circulating coin programs such as the <a href="http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa310/Polymath_Numismatics/blog/50SQ.jpg">50 State Quarter</a> program</li><li>The widespread use of the internet and venues such as <a href="http://www.ebay.com/">eBay</a></li><li>A much more reliable global postal system</li><li>The emergence of the <a href="http://www.theeuropeans.net/blog/images/Euro_coins.jpg">Euro</a> leading to an <a href="http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa310/Polymath_Numismatics/blog/Bundesbank.jpg">abundance of inexpensive foreign coins</a></li><li>The growth of new finds in ancients coming from Europe and the Middle East<br /></li></ul>But all this can come to a grinding halt if we give in to international pressure from foreign governments who push the failed policies of <a href="http://www.accg.us/issues/editorials/pro/tompa2.html/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cultural Property Nationalism</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protectionism"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Protectionism</span></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statism"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Statism</span></a>. If we do not resist these forces, only the rich will be able to collect ancient coins and the only foreign coins that will remain collectible will be current 'pocket change' issues and annual proof sets, often minted right here in the USA and made to appeal to <a href="http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa310/Polymath_Numismatics/blog/Pokemon.jpg">less than genuine historic or culturally important themes</a>.<br /><br />TTFN,<br /><br />Jim McGarigle<br />Polymath Numismatics<br />ANA, ANS, ACCG<br /><br />My Ebay Store<br /><a href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera">http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera</a><br /><br />My Myspace Page<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy">http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy</a><br /><br />My eBay 'ME' Page<br /><a href="http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics">http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics</a><br /><br />My Coin Blog<br /><a href="http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/">http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/</a><br /><span class="verdana"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/SJ7FVCPLpqI/AAAAAAAAAIo/YfvgKA7b37g/s1600-h/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/SJ7FVCPLpqI/AAAAAAAAAIo/YfvgKA7b37g/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232836782219568802" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-19033625650282952032008-08-27T19:57:00.000-07:002008-12-10T18:07:26.229-08:00Possible Future Barack Obama Appointee Is A Cultural Property Advocate<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/JAMESM%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I just found this out:<br /><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://culturalpropertyobserver.blogspot.com/2008/08/patty-gerstenblith-named-to-obama-arts.html">Patty Gerstenblith Named to Obama Arts Committee</a></h3>More about Patty Gerstenblith:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.law.depaul.edu/faculty_staff/faculty_information.asp?id=16">DePaul University Faculty Page</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.accg.us/issues/news/afghanfinds/">ACCG Afghanistan - Looted Coins Found</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.archaeological.org/pdfs/archaeologywatch/CyprusRenewal.pdf">Cyprus Renewal Letter PDF</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.culturalheritagelaw.org/about-lcchp/board-of-directors/patty-gerstenblith-biography">Patty Gerstenblith Bio</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Either collectors will have to make <span style="font-weight: bold;">more inroads within the Democratic Party</span> (as some of us have within the Republican Party) OR <span style="font-weight: bold;">vote for McCain</span> OR <span style="font-weight: bold;">a little of each to <a href="http://accg.us">preserve our freedom to collect</a></span> here in the USA. The AIA has allies in both parties, collectors are not beholden to any one party - speak up people!<br /><br />It would also be worthwhile for collectors who have already decided to support Barack Obama to<a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/contact/"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> CONTACT HIM</span></a> and tell him how you feel about Cultural Property <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_nationalism">Nationalism</a> (as opposed to <a href="http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/24177.html">Cultural Property <span style="font-weight: bold;">Inter</span>nationalism</a>), Import Restrictions & Coin Collecting. <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post_edit/_new">Blog about it</a>, no better time than now to <span style="font-weight: bold;">let Obama know</span>!<br /><br />Mental Shorthand Time<br /><br /><a href="http://www.archaeological.org/webinfo.php?page=10027">Cultural Property Nationalism = Anti-Collecting</a><br /><br /><a href="http://accg.us">Cultural Property <span style="font-weight: bold;">Inter</span>nationalism = Pro-Collecting</a><br /></div><br />TTFN,<br /><br />Jim McGarigle<br />Polymath Numismatics<br />ANA, ANS, ACCG<br /><br />My Ebay Store<br /><a href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera">http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera</a><br /><br />My Myspace Page<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy">http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy</a><br /><br />My eBay 'ME' Page<br /><a href="http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics">http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics</a><br /><br />My Coin Blog (New)<br /><a href="http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/">http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/</a><br /><span class="verdana"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/SJ7FVCPLpqI/AAAAAAAAAIo/YfvgKA7b37g/s1600-h/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/SJ7FVCPLpqI/AAAAAAAAAIo/YfvgKA7b37g/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232836782219568802" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-16810200177149567492008-08-26T16:57:00.000-07:002008-12-10T18:07:26.358-08:00Scholarly Pedantics - More Extreme Archaeology<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/JAMESM%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Greetings,<br /><br />Recently a certain archaeologist said,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >"Basically </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >any archaeological material found in UK soil or UK territorial waters, more than 50 years old and regardless of monetary value, requires an individual export licence to leave the UK</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >."</span><br /></div><br /><a href="http://paul-barford.blogspot.com/2008/08/who-needs-export-licences.html">Source?</a><br /><br />Yes, I know you are shocked.<br /><br />When I read it, one word came to my mind, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pedantic</span>.<br /><br />At the risk of looking pedantic myself:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pedant</span><br />Ped"ant (?), n. [F. pédant, It. pedante, fr. Gr. to instruct, from pai^s boy. See Pedagogue.]<br /><br />1. A schoolmaster; a pedagogue. [Obs.] Dryden.<br /><br /> A pedant that keeps a school i'th' church. Shak.<br /><br />2. <span style="font-style: italic;">One who puts on an air of learning; one who makes a vain display of learning; a pretender to superior knowledge</span>. Addison.<br /><br /> A scholar, yet surely no pedant, was he. Goldsmith.<br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">ped·ant·ry</span> (pdn-tr)<br /> n. pl. ped·ant·ries<br /> 1. <span style="font-style: italic;">Pedantic attention to detail or rules</span>.<br /> 2. An instance of pedantic behavior.<br /> 3. The habit of mind or manner characteristic of a pedant.<br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">pedantry</span><br /> Noun<br /> pl -ries <span style="font-style: italic;">the practice of being a pedant, esp. in the minute observance of petty rules or details</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Emphasis mine</span>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I think documenting any coin 50 years old or older, regardless of value qualifies as a demonstration of pedantry or pedantic behavior.<br /><br />For example, according to <a href="http://www.krausebooks.com/product/832/4">Krause & Mishler's Standard Catalog of World Coins</a>, the lowest mintage for a British Victorian Farthing is 713,000 for a 1875 Farthing which has a collector value of $9 USD in Fine-12. That is about £4.50 GBPs. Many that are found by metal detectorists in the UK are only found in AG-3 to VG-8 condition which I think would be about Poor to Fair by <a href="http://www.predecimal.com/gradingchart.htm">UK grading standards</a>. Coins like this are <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">routinely and legally sold</span> in <a href="http://coins.listings.ebay.com/UK-Great-Britain_Collections-Lots_W0QQdfspZ32QQfromZR4QQsacatZ3410QQsocmdZListingItemList">group lots on eBay</a> often inexpensively at a cost less than £0.50 pence each.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/SLSitOe3SxI/AAAAAAAAAJY/mXyYVHOGMYQ/s1600-h/1875+Farthing.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 203px; height: 189px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/SLSitOe3SxI/AAAAAAAAAJY/mXyYVHOGMYQ/s400/1875+Farthing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238991164404091666" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A coin listed on eBay for £3.00<br /><br /><img style="cursor: -moz-zoom-in; width: 216px; height: 297px;" alt="http://blogs.news-journalonline.com/fanboy/Indiana%20Jones%20Talking%20Indy.jpeg" src="http://blogs.news-journalonline.com/fanboy/Indiana%20Jones%20Talking%20Indy.jpeg" /><br />Hey - that belongs in a museum!<br /><br /><img style="width: 299px; height: 147px;" alt="http://www.predecimal.com/forsale/shilling1958s.jpg" src="http://www.predecimal.com/forsale/shilling1958s.jpg" /><br />1958 Elizabeth II Shilling - 50 Years Old:<br /><br />1958 Mintage:14,392,000 Fine $0.25 VF $0.50 EF $3.00 UNC $22.50<br /><br /><img style="cursor: -moz-zoom-in; width: 216px; height: 297px;" alt="http://blogs.news-journalonline.com/fanboy/Indiana%20Jones%20Talking%20Indy.jpeg" src="http://blogs.news-journalonline.com/fanboy/Indiana%20Jones%20Talking%20Indy.jpeg" /><br />That belongs in a museum too!<br /><br />Provenance, pedigree and/or export licenses for a coin like that shilling? <span style="font-weight: bold;">Extreme</span>.<br /><br />TTFN,<br /><br />Jim McGarigle<br />Polymath Numismatics<br />ANA, ANS, ACCG<br /><br />My Ebay Store<br />http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera<br /><br />My Myspace Page<br />http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy<br /><br />My eBay 'ME' Page<br />http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics<br /><br />My Coin Blog (New)<br />http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/<br /><span class="verdana"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/SJ7FVCPLpqI/AAAAAAAAAIo/YfvgKA7b37g/s1600-h/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/SJ7FVCPLpqI/AAAAAAAAAIo/YfvgKA7b37g/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232836782219568802" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-85763290008771477292008-08-23T00:36:00.000-07:002008-12-10T18:07:26.373-08:00Open Reply To Paul Barford on Terminology<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/JAMESM%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Recently Paul Barford said,<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >There is a pattern here, most of the speakers are US coin collectors or dealers. Secondly, they all refer to a law they call “treasure Trove”, though ascribe it variously to Britain, the United Kingdom or England (forgetting Wales), interestingly none of them mention Scotland (see below). Thirdly they all seem agreed that for some reason this “Treasure Trove” law is very “fair” and it should be adopted as a pattern by all other countries in forming new antiquity protection laws, when collectors and dealers would be willing to respect them.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" ></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" ></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://paul-barford.blogspot.com/2008/08/most-enlightened-antiquities-laws-in.html">More here in his original post</a></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Here is my expanded reply (Paul often chooses not to publish or to edit my replies)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">Paul,<o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">I don't know why you spilt so much ink over this. It is simply 'mental shorthand' on the part of collectors that you seem to be taking issue with and let me explain. <o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">Some people on <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0CE7DB1E3AF931A15750C0A9669C8B63">my side of the pond</a> (both Americans and Canadians too) often refer to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England"><st1:country-region st="on">England</st1:country-region></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland"><st1:country-region st="on">Scotland</st1:country-region></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wales"><st1:country-region st="on">Wales</st1:country-region></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland"><st1:country-region st="on">Northern Ireland</st1:country-region></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey">Jersey</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guernsey">Guernsey</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Man">Man</a> & <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lundy">Lundy</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_islands_of_England">and I know there are more</a>) simply as '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England"><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">England</st1:place></st1:country-region></a>'. At other times we might collectively call those areas '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain"><st1:country-region st="on">Great Britain</st1:country-region></a>' and at other times we might call them the '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom"><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">United Kingdom</st1:place></st1:country-region></a>'. <o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">It's mental shorthand. You may be right on the technical aspects of your argument but I think you misunderstand the thought processes of those you are attacking. <o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">I also get the feeling that you operate on the highly ideological assumption that we are in favor of looting and that the aspects of the <a href="http://www.finds.org.uk/">PAS</a> and <a href="http://www.britarch.ac.uk/cba/potant15.html">Treasure Act</a> and the preceding <a href="http://www.answers.com/topic/treasure-trove">Treasure Trove</a> laws that were in any way restrictive we were automatically opposed to.<o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">On the contrary, I have felt and have the distinct impression others have felt/do feel the same as I in that the regulations contained in the PAS, Treasure Act and preceding Treasure Trove law were/are fair regulations that make sense.<o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">If you want to split hairs over the muddy use of PAS, Treasure Trove and the Treasure Act, fine, go ahead - but only people who have read <a href="http://www.iep.utm.edu/w/wittgens.htm">Wittgenstein</a> and <a href="http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/frege/">Frege</a> will care about your <a href="http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/frege/#FreTheSenDen">sense and nominatum</a> hairsplitting. <o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">Respectfully,<o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">Jim McGarigle<br />Polymath Numismatics<br />ANA, ANS, ACCG<br /><br />My Ebay Store<br />http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera<br /><br />My Myspace Page<br />http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy<br /><br />My eBay 'ME' Page<br />http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics<br /><br />My Coin Blog (New)<br />http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/<br /><span class="verdana"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/SJ7FVCPLpqI/AAAAAAAAAIo/YfvgKA7b37g/s1600-h/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/SJ7FVCPLpqI/AAAAAAAAAIo/YfvgKA7b37g/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232836782219568802" border="0" /></a></p><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" ></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-5786588859488942382008-08-10T02:45:00.000-07:002008-12-10T18:07:26.390-08:00Knowing The Difference<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/JAMESM%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Greetings gentle readers,<br /><br />In the blog <a href="http://lootingmatters.blogspot.com/2008/08/burns-i-wear-this-title-of-philhellene.html">Looting Matters</a>, blog author David Gill asked,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">"<span class="verdana">This is emotive talk (<span class="verdana">"sold out", "price of betrayal") </span>from Tompa. Is he suggesting that organisations that "honour" individuals have ulterior motives? What about <a href="http://www.accg.us/issues/news/friend2006/">organisations that reward congressmen</a> for supporting "collector rights" or intervening "<span class="verdana">in issues of importance to ancient coin collectors"? Or is that <a href="http://paul-barford.blogspot.com/2008/07/badger-state-collectors-want-easier.html">different</a>?"<br /><br />Fair question and the answer is yes - it is different and Gill being a citizen of the U.K. (Britain) may not understand why it is different. This is my expanded reply to him:<br /><br /></span></span><span class="verdana">Yes, to your last question, it is different, substantially different. As someone who studied <a href="http://sbs.mnsu.edu/psle/irelations/">International Relations</a> when I attended university, I can tell you that the loyalty of an embassy or <a href="http://www.state.gov/">State Dept</a> employee who works for the U.S. Govt is to the U.S. both 1st and above all other countries. For a U.S. diplomat to be rewarded by a foreign country for going against the interests of it's own citizens could be grounds for both dismissal and likely jail time. It is foreign influence over a U.S. diplomat against the wishes and interests of the citizenry he/she is meant to serve, protect and defend. That person would be acting contrary to the very description of their job. I expect the same kind of loyalty would be required of any home office or foreign service employee in any other country. The mission statement of the U.S. State Dept says,<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><em><a href="http://www.state.gov/s/d/rm/rls/dosstrat/2007/html/82943.htm">Advance freedom for the benefit<br />of the American people and the<br />international community by<br />helping to build and sustain a more<br />democratic, secure, and prosperous<br />world composed of well-governed<br />states that respond to the needs of<br />their people, reduce widespread<br />poverty, and act responsibly within<br />the international system.</a><br /><br /></em></span><span class="verdana">Take note it says, <span style="font-family:georgia;">"</span></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><em>Advance freedom for the benefit of the American people"</em></span><span class="verdana"> FIRST and mentions the international community <span style="font-style: italic;">second</span>.<br /><br />A U.S. State Dept employee <a href="http://www.conservativeusa.org/oathsofoffice.htm">has taken an oath to protect and defend the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic and to defend U.S. interests at home and abroad</a>. Nicholas Burns may have violated his oath if he gave favored treatment to foreign based Greek and Cypriot organizations over U.S. citizens. Career diplomats of many countries often face the temptation to do this as a means of getting along better with politicians of their host countries or with colleagues who serve other countries. Mr. Burns has made it eloquently clear where his feeling lie and he was a fool to do so.<br /><br />By contrast, for a group like the <a href="http://accg.us/">ACCG</a> (which is based in the U.S.) to thank a U.S. Congressman is thanks coming from a constituent group whose members are of the same country. This is normal in the U.S. and is <span style="font-style: italic;">consistent with U.S. Constitutional norms</span>. U.S. Congressman have <span style="font-weight: bold;">taken an oath</span> much like the State Dept employees and it is their Constitutional duty, their *JOB*, to represent the citizens of the Congressional District and/or State in which they reside. For example here are the pages used by <a href="http://obama.senate.gov/services/">Barack Obama</a> and <a href="http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ConstituentServices.Casework">John McCain</a> for that function as U.S. Senators. The congressmen from Wisconsin all represent congressional districts that have coin clubs, coin dealers and in 2 of them, coin & stamp publishing & paraphernalia businesses. When those congressmen helped the ACCG, they were <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress#Constituent_services">serving their constituents and that is their job</a>.<br /><br /></span>Jim McGarigle<br />Polymath Numismatics<br />ANA, ANS, ACCG<br /><br />My Ebay Store<br />http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera<br /><br />My Myspace Page<br />http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy<br /><br />My eBay 'ME' Page<br />http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics<br /><br />My Coin Blog (New)<br />http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/<br /><span class="verdana"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/SJ7FVCPLpqI/AAAAAAAAAIo/YfvgKA7b37g/s1600-h/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/SJ7FVCPLpqI/AAAAAAAAAIo/YfvgKA7b37g/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232836782219568802" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-46627931192549368162008-08-04T21:21:00.000-07:002008-12-10T18:07:26.403-08:00My eBay Feedback Just Hit 900 - Woo-Hoo!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/JAMESM%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Greetings,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">A special thanks to all who have bought from me as I have sold on and off over the years. I have just hit 900 with my feedback (which is really 1100+ received and 1300+ given!) on eBay and am hoping to reach 1000 soon. So thank-you one and all and if you have not bought from me yet, check me out and give me a try.<br /><br />Speaking of 1000, my goal is to hit 1000 by the end of this August and make at least $1000. I have a trip in September and some bills to pay. As a result, besides the usual smattering of Ancient, World & U.S. coins, I will have some higher quality and unusual material - stuff out of my own collection also being listed.<br /></div><br />Here is my current coin offerings:<br /><br />ANCIENT:<br />------------<br /><br />PMN - GETA AS CAESAR - AR DENARIUS - PONTIF COS II - EF<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282655664<br /><br />PMN - VICTORINVS - SILVER-BILLON ANT - INVICTVS<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282657753<br /><br />PMN - GALERIUS - AE FOLLIS - EF<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282660729<br /><br />PMN - ANTIOCHUS IV EPIPHANES - SCARCER ISSUE - TYRE<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282648864<br /><br />PMN - ARETAS IV AND SHUQAILAT - NICE!<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282650032<br /><br />PMN - SCARCE TRAJAN DUPONDIUS - NICE MATTE BLACK PATINA<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282651363<br /><br />PMN - ARETAS III PHILHELLENOS - NABATAEAN<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282653251<br /><br />PMN - SYLLAEUS AND ARETAS IV - RARE<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282654667<br /><br />PMN - EAGLE - ANTIOCHUS VIII GRYPOS - RADIATE BRONZE<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282661517<br /><br />PMN - MALICHUS II AND SHUQAILAT<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282662821<br /><br />WORLD:<br />------------<br /><br />PMN - 1944 LAHORE MINT 1/2 RUPEE - KGVI<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282651471<br /><br />PMN - 1943 SILVER 1/4 RUPEE - KGVI - CALCUTTA - BU-UNC<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282652759<br /><br />PMN - MOOSE - 1971 PROOFLIKE QUARTER - BU<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282653473<br /><br />PMN - 1978 - 10 FILS - JORDAN - UNC - RED<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282654083<br /><br />PMN - LION - I YEAR TYPE - BELGIUM - 1939 - 1 FRANC<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282654375<br /><br />PMN - RAM - SILVER AUSSIE SHILLING - 1961 - QEII<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282655381<br /><br />PMN - LION - UNC 1951 5 STOTINKI BULGARIA - 1 YR TYPE<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282656000<br /><br />PMN - KNIGHT ON HORSEBACK SILVER 5 SHILLINGS AUSTRIA<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282657206<br /><br />PMN - 1936B 1/4 RUPEE - BU-UNC SPECIMEN - GEORGE V<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282658439<br /><br />PMN - BU/UNC - 1936 - BRITAIN - 3 PENCE - GEORGE V<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282660904<br /><br />PMN - LION - 1 YR TYPE - 1953 25 CENTS - PARAGUAY UNC<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282662570<br /><br />PMN - HEN - 1968 PENNY *FULL RED* REPUBLIC OF IRELAND<br />http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320282664357<br /><br />More material to be posted soon, keep checking back!<br /><br />Jim McGarigle<br />Polymath Numismatics<br />ANA, ANS, ACCG<br /><br />My Ebay Store<br />http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera<br /><br />My Myspace Page<br />http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy<br /><br />My eBay 'ME' Page<br />http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics<br /><br />My Coin Blog (New)<br />http://awcoingeek.blogspot.com/<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s1600-h/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022112869630302450" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /> </div><div style="text-align: justify;" class="post-footer"> <div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-1"> <span class="post-author vcard"><br /></span><span class="post-icons"><span class="item-control blog-admin pid-1077157667"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5111794618794185081&postID=1524466926739177777" title="Edit Post"> </a> </span> </span> </div> <div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-2"> <span class="post-labels"> </span> </div> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;" class="comments" id="comments"> <a name="comments"></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client="pub-0378744475975724"; google_ad_host="pub-1556223355139109"; google_ad_width=468; google_ad_height=60; google_ad_format="468x60_as"; 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Yet, import restrictions like those ECA recently </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >imposed on "coins of Cypriot type" threaten to make foreign </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >participation in such coin fairs as a thing of the past.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >My thoughts exactly!</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" ><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">His column reminds me of an old <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FPv2toi5og&feature=related">Rodney Dangerfield</a> quote that I will intentionally paraphrase, "<span class="body">I went to a coin show the other day, and a friendship broke out".</span><br /><br /><a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bullz-eye.com/entertainment/standup_hof/images/rodney_dangerfield.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bullz-eye.com/entertainment/standup_hof/rodney_dangerfield.htm&h=300&w=275&sz=30&hl=en&start=27&sig2=lDj3l6pPhl46uCz9qk_odg&um=1&tbnid=dhrNJzO6CTKAtM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=106&ei=T0yRSKbLIY2CgAL4l8HuBQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3DRodney%2BDangerfield%26start%3D20%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN"><img style="border: 1px solid ;" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:dhrNJzO6CTKAtM:http://www.bullz-eye.com/entertainment/standup_hof/images/rodney_dangerfield.jpg" height="116" width="106" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;">I have often preached that the international exchange of coins by PRIVATE CITIZENS of differing countries has a 'Peace Dividend' in that as people buy and sell or trade (<a href="http://home.hetnet.nl/%7Ewalliby/">coin and bank note trading is BIG over the internet!</a>) coins as a hobby, it builds good will between those countries one person at a time. I have had both a French collector and an Arab collector say the precise same thing to me, "I hate George Bush but I love Americans!" As I am a Republican who worked to elect and re-elect Bush I was not happy to hear they did not like my President <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">but</span> I got what they were saying. They did not care for our current President but they harbored no ill will for Americans. In fact both told me of numerous friends and customers they had who were American.<br /><br />Washington, are you reading this?<br /><br />Some years back when I was a student at <a href="http://www.mnsu.edu/">Mankato State University</a>, I took a class in political philosophy from a terrific professor, <a href="http://www.sociedadenmovimiento.org.mx/boletin/fotos/puebla/hunter.jpg">Doran Hunter</a>. He had us read <a href="http://www.princeton.edu/%7Emacedo/">Steven Macedo's</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Liberal-Virtues-Citizenship-Community-Consitutionalism/dp/B000KTB7YY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217475145&sr=8-1"><u><span style="font-size:12;">Liberal Virtues: Citizenship, Virtue, and Community in Liberal Constitutionalism</span></u></a>. A big part of what we talked about was 'cross cutting interests and institutions'. Here in America, one reason we don't have Protestants and Catholics who live side by side slitting each others throats is because we don't monolithically identify with just our own religion. We may belong to a political party, we may belong to a social club like the Rotary Club, we may play chess and belong to a chess club or we might COLLECT COINS and belong to a COIN COLLECTING CLUB. Under the old Soviet system and under many of the past Fascist regimes, social clubs were either eliminated or co-opted into the party structure. Why? Because <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">clubs often have leaders</span> and <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">clubs are often built upon coalitions</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">! </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Are you listening State Department?<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br />Much of today's import restriction requests are born out of a philosophy called <a href="http://illicit-cultural-property.blogspot.com/2008/04/james-cuno-on-nationalism-and.html">Cultural Property Nationalism</a> (hypernationalism) which is a product (in many cases) of bad feelings over colonialism, hypernationalism also is related to Fascism. But the truth be told, colonial powers did frequently behave badly and either stole or bought (at very low prices) what some might now consider national treasures. Cultural Property Nationalism may be bad and counterproductive to friendly international relations but it is conceived in feelings that have some justification. The problem we are faced with now is a 'baby-with-the-bathwater' problem. Coins are rarely national treasures, coins were mass produced for public circulation as a means of exchange for the buying and selling of commercial goods. You just cannot equate a bronze coin of Constantine the Great that has a retail value of say, $5 to $25 with something like King Tutankhamen's treasure. It is like comparing an <a href="http://www.rustycans.com/Graphics/SchlitzML1.jpg">antique beer can</a> to a print made by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albrecht_Durer">Albrecht Dürer.</a><br /><br />Sure, both are collectible, but one belongs in a basement bar display and the other belongs in a museum. Many archaeologists <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">wish to stop all trading in unprovenanced antiquities</span>. In order to do this they feel that even if ancient coins may very well be common, it is all or nothing. All antiquities, no matter how insignificant, must be regulated and preferably, professional archaeologists should be the sole arbiters of their possession and study.<br /><br />Back to the original topic, collecting has a 'peace dividend' that transcends politics, religion, ethnicity, gender, etc. If certain archaeologists and government busybodies (both with far too much time on their hands) want to send person-to-person international relations back 100 years, they should just keep doing what they have been doing. On the other hand, if a man in the U.S. wants to collect Judaean bronzes or Spanish milled silver, so what? And if a woman in India wants to collect U.S. or Canadian silver dollars, so what? Let them. This will promote cross-cultural exchange and global understanding when far too many balkanizing trends are at work.<br /><br /></div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><a href="http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Sky-News-Archive/Article/20082851305007">Russian Aircraft Buzz U.S. Carrier</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2001/09/11/StateLocal/Texas.Republican.Party.Opposes.Illegal.Immigrant.Amnesty-492386.shtml">Republican Party of Texas opposes Amnesty for Illegals</a></li><li><a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4389924.ece">Looming Nuclear Confrontation Between India and Pakistan</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/middle_east/2001/israel_and_the_palestinians/default.stm">Israel - Palestinian Conflict Escalating</a></li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;">Yeah, don't let people buy, sell and trade ancient and older world coins internationally - a friendship or business partnership might break out!<br /><br /><a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.thesunblog.com/sports/rodneydangerfield.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.thesunblog.com/sports/archives/2007/12/no_respect_at_a_1.html&h=460&w=449&sz=30&hl=en&start=1&sig2=rcE7p2u4mmA7VURQ6p17oA&um=1&tbnid=PwMRG5U32jBgHM:&tbnh=128&tbnw=125&ei=IEyRSJDSJqSSggL3kpzoBQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3DRodney%2BDangerfield%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN"><img style="border: 1px solid ;" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:PwMRG5U32jBgHM:http://www.thesunblog.com/sports/rodneydangerfield.jpg" height="128" width="125" /></a><br /></div><br />Peace,<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Jim McGarigle</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Polymath Numismatics</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">ANA ANS ACCG</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">My Ebay Store</span><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera">http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">My Myspace Page</span><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy">http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">My eBay 'ME' Page</span><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics">http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics</a></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s1600-h/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022112869630302450" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s320/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111794618794185081.post-70444629393459655052008-07-30T10:53:00.000-07:002008-12-10T18:07:26.448-08:00Coins And Cultural Property - A Solution Part 2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/Rh-F6hLroKI/AAAAAAAAADs/ugsnRFLBh68/s320/BizLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/JAMESM%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Greetings,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">For those of you following this discussion, <a href="http://www.snible.org/coins/">Ed Snible</a> has made several entries recently on his blog, "<a href="http://digitalhn.blogspot.com/">A Gift For Polydektes</a>" in which he proposes several complimentary ideas that he gets from existing technologies such as <a href="http://www.nationalnotary.org/news/index.cfm?Text=newsNotary&newsID=147">photographic notarization</a>, such as with a machine/service called <a href="http://www.digistamp.com/">DigiStamp</a> and one called the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimberley_Process_Certification_Scheme">The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme</a> which is used with diamonds.<br /><br />For <a href="http://culturalpropertyobserver.blogspot.com/2008/07/very-low-cost-antiquities-registries.html">Peter</a>, <a href="http://coinarchaeology.blogspot.com/2008/07/ancient-coin-and-antiquities-registers.html">Nathan</a> & I all warming to one idea something must be afoot!<br /></div><br />I'll keep you posted.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">TTFN, Ta-Ta-For-Now (as Tigger would say)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Jim McGarigle</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Polymath Numismatics</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">ANA ANS ACCG</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">My Ebay Store</span><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera">http://stores.ebay.com/Polymath-Numismatics-and-Etcetera</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">My Myspace Page</span><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy">http://www.myspace.com/numismatistguy</a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">My eBay 'ME' Page</span><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics">http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/polymath_numismatics</a></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oE3ndarldiU/RbIhC_A7WPI/AAAAAAAAABs/jvM2odqnnoo/s1600-h/MyMembershipsLogo_sm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022112869630302450" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; 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