Coin Collectors Sue U.S. State Department

GAINESVILLE, Mo., Nov. 15 /Xpress Press/ -- The Ancient Coin Collectors Guild (ACCG), an advocacy group for private collectors and independent scholars, announced the filing today of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U. S. State Department (DOS). According to Wayne G. Sayles, executive director of the guild, this action became unavoidable due to persistent refusal of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) to provide the guild and others with information relating to requests for import restrictions. The DOS recently imposed unprecedented import restrictions on ancient coins from Cyprus, requiring importers of even a single common coin of Cypriot type to provide unfair, unworkable and unnecessary documentation.

The ACCG seeks information relating to requests from Cyprus, China and Italy. In each case, apparent irregularities in the way these requests were handled led to significant concerns. Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives also requested similar information on behalf of the ACCG and others. "None of these avenues produced responsive replies," said Peter K. Tompa, ACCG president. "The reason for this lawsuit is that the DOS has refused to provide meaningful information. We seek transparency and fairness of the process by which decisions affecting the American people are made." The ACCG, joined in this suit by the International Association of Professional Numismatists and the Professional Numismatists Guild, is represented by Washington DC attorney Scott A. Hodes. Mr. Hodes is a former FOIA and Privacy Act attorney for the Department of Justice and the FBI.

The imposition of import restrictions is a remedy made available to DOS by the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (CPIA) enacted in 1983. This law, while providing emergency protection for endangered cultural property, includes a detailed and comprehensive safeguards to limit overreaching implementation of the 1970 UNESCO accord. The fair and equitable application of this law is viewed by the coin collector community and associated trade as essential to achieving any measure of protection on a broad and continuing scale. The ACCG (http://accg.us) argues that fairness and equity can only be satisfied by a system that is transparent and subject to oversight. They hope that this lawsuit will help encourage the State Department to revamp its procedures to ensure the fundamental fairness to all that the law demands.

Source: Ancient Coin Collectors Guild

CONTACT: Wayne Sayles, Executive Director of Ancient Coin Collectors Guild, +1-417-679-2142

Web site: http://accg.us

All materials published on this Web Site are provided "as is" without warranty or conditions of any kind, either expressed or implied. Xpress Press shall not be liable to any person or entity under any circumstances for any special, incidental, indirect or consequential damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from use of or reliance on the information presented, loss of profits or revenues or costs of replacement goods, even if informed in advance of the possibility of such damages. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties so the above exclusions may not apply to you.

U.S. State Newswires
Africa Newswire
Asia Newswire
Australia Newswire
Canada Newswire
Europe Newswire
Latin/South America Wire

News By Subject

Accounting
Ad/Marketing
Aerospace/Airlines
Agriculture
Art
Automotive
Banking &Finance
Biotechnology
Books &Publishing
Building/Construction
Business
Career &Workplace
Computer &Internet
Computer Electronics
Computer Hardware
Computer Networks
Computer Software
Consumer &Product
Economy/Trends
Education
Entertainment
Environment
Family &Parenting
Fashion/Apparel
Features
Food &Hospitality
Health Care
Hispanic Newsline
HOLIDAY (Seasonal)
Home &Garden
Insurance
Investor News
Legal
Manufacturing
Media News/Press Advisories
New Products/Services
Not for Profit
Personal Finance
Politics &Public Affairs
Real Estate
Religion
Retail
Sciences
Small Business
Software Wire
Sports
Supplementary Medicine
Telecommunications
Travel
Utilities/Energy
Weird News
Women

Recent News
Subscribers

ABC News, CBS Marketwatch, E! Entertainment Television, CNBC's Squawk Box, Fast Company Magazine, Family News service, Fox Market Wire, Life Magazine, PC Gaming, The Wall Street Journal Europe, Digital Business, Infhotel Press, Internet Marketing in Japan, and Woman's Day.