No subject

=20

=20

Coin collectors furious over trade restrictions=20
By Leo Leonidou

AMERICAN coin collectors are suing the US State Department over a
decision to restrict imports of ancient coins from Cyprus.

The Ancient Coin Collectors Guild have been up in arms since July, when
the State Department announced that it was imposing import restrictions
on Cypriot coins that date from the end of the 600BC-235BC. At a
ceremony in Washington, Undersecretary of State R. Nicholas Burns said
that the move will help Cyprus to battle "those who would plunder its
heritage and seek to sell that heritage illegally".

Wayne Sayles has been collecting and selling ancient coins since 1967.
Two weeks ago, a group he heads sued the State Department, charging that
its decision to restrict imports of ancient coins from the island as "a
major offensive" against coin collectors that threatens his hobby.

The lawsuit urges the court to force the government to provide
"meaningful information to the public about the unprecedented imposition
of import restrictions on ancient coins of Cypriot types."

Sayles said, "In a world where globalism is not just a trend but an
irreversible fact of life, how can anyone justify turning America into
an island of prohibition for something as innocuous as a common coin?"

Cyprus' Ambassador to the US, Andreas Kakouris, has said that the
island's cultural heritage is one of the oldest and richest in the
world, dating back 10,000 years. He had a message for coin collectors:
"It may be your hobby, but it's our heritage."

Sayles is also running into opposition from the Archaeological Institute
of America, the oldest and largest archaeological group in the nation,
with more than 8,500 members.

"The looting of coins from archaeological sites is a significant problem
throughout the world, and especially on the island of Cyprus," C. Brian
Rose, the group's president, wrote in a letter to the State Department.

Yesterday, the island's Antiquities Department said that the coin
restrictions cover a wider Memorandum of Understanding between the two
countries, which covers artifacts dating back to 8000BC up to the 12th
century.=20

Director Pavlos Flourentzos told the Mail that the Memorandum involved
"a big effort on our part and includes the export of any artefact from
the above dates, unless we have given our permission."

He added that this is the first time that the United States has taken
action to protect the coins of a country.

According to the Flourentzos, "The cultural heritage of Cyprus must be
protected from illegal looting, exporting and sales abroad. It's obvious
that some people are going to be upset, but that's not a reason to sit
back and take no action."

=20

=20

=20

Peter K. Tompa=20

Dillingham & Murphy, LLP

1155 Connecticut Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20036

Telephone: (202) 835-9880

Facsimile: (202) 835-9885

pkt at dillinghammurphy.com

IMPORTANT/CONFIDENTIAL: This message from the law firm of Dillingham &
Murphy LLP is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under
applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient (or authorized to
act on behalf of the intended recipient) of this message, you may not
disclose, forward, distribute, copy, or use this message or its
contents. If you have received this communication in error, please
notify us immediately by return e-mail and delete the original message
from your e-mail system. Thank you.

=20