Dr. Ute Wartenberg has recently stepped down as the executive director of the American Numismatic Society; but not before submitting a letter in support of restricting coins from Turkey.
https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=DOS-2019-0043-0079Here is a particularly ignorant line --
"Although it is hard to know what exactly is being dug up by looters, it is certain that coins play a significant role, which is clear from online auctions, eBay or Amazon where looted coins from Turkey are offered by the thousands on any given day"
So, according to her, there are thousands of looted coins for sale each day. I think that she has done a huge disservice to the ancient numismatic community.
For 4th century LRB collectors, imagine restrictions on coins from Constantinopolis, Cyzicus, Heraclea and Nicomedia.
It seems especially egregious that she says "The views expressed in this letter are my own and are not meant to be representative of the American Numismatic Society," but she still uses ANS letterhead.
I expect that I will not renew my ANS membership.
Below are some "looted" coins currently for sale on eBay. Each group has at least one coin from a Roman mint in present day Turkey, yet they were metal detected in Southern England.
