DRAFT GERMAN LAW HINDERS COLLECTORS

A third draft of the amendment to the German Law on the Protection of Cultural Heritage includes provisions that could endanger coin collecting and dealing in Germany.

The draft, unveiled on Sept. 14, includes new provisions and legal definitions that could impact collectors of many objects, including those numismatic. Ironically, the amendment is being drafted by the Commissioner of the Federal Government for Culture and Media just as the German Ministry of Finance announced it will be selling off German numismatic heritage through the British auction house Spink.

Spink will be offering what it terms “a unique collection of German economic history,” bonds and Treasury bills issued by the Reichsbank and German Länder between 1889 and 1945 on November 20. Bidding is open to anyone anywhere. No export license was required for the German government to send the bills and bonds to Great Britain, nor is there any current German law that prevents this cultural heritage from being disbursed to collectors outside Germany.

Adding further fuel to the fire German Ministry of Finance (BADV) Vice President Dr. Thomas Dress said, “We are happy to make available these important witnesses of German Economic history to the public and interested collectors.”

The new legislative draft no longer obligates coin dealers to provide buyers with the provenance of what they are buying at the time of purchase, however the same dealer must provide the provenance if the legal right to ownership of the item comes into question later.

The proposed German law controlling the movement of anything determined by some government to be its cultural heritage is politically motivated.

According to an article appearing in the Oct. 8 issue of CoinsWeekly.com, “…it becomes apparent that this law does not pursue the interests of the German citizens, but rather constitutes a political means to improve the image of Germany in foreign countries…The claim to a cultural good is rather based on the legal provisions of the state that wants it repatriated.”

In an editorial comment of the same date CoinsWeekly.com Editor Dr. Ursula Kampmann said, “Nearly every single line of this legal text speaks of the deep mistrust against collectors and dealers. It’s simply depressing. We witness the alienation between the collecting citizen and his government.”

To read the complete article, see:
Draft German law hinders collectors (www.numismaticnews.net/article/draft-german-law-hinders-collectors)

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