To amend the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act to make certain technical corrections to facilitate the lawful trade and collecting of numismatic materials.
H.R. 595 proposes technical corrections to the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (CPPIA) to explicitly cover numismatic materials (coins, tokens, paper money, medals and related objects) and to adjust import rules for these items. The bill would create a new evidentiary framework for numismatic imports, requiring proof of lawful acquisition, a known type published in reference works, and the absence of ties to illicit excavations within a State Party. It also adds sworn declarations from importers and clarifies that customs officers should not require additional documentation unless there is probable cause to doubt the information provided. The changes are framed as targeted, procedural tweaks intended to facilitate legitimate trade and collecting of numismatic material while maintaining safeguards against illicit activity.
Key Points
- 1Redefines “numismatic material” to include coins, tokens, paper money, medals and related objects.
- 2Establishes a new import condition for numismatic material: satisfactory evidence that the item was lawfully acquired, is of a known type, and is not the direct product of illicit excavations within a State Party.
- 3Adds sworn declarations (by the importer or the person on whose account the material is imported) detailing:
- 4- lawful acquisition in one or more States Party;
- 5- lawful export from a State Party where acquired;
- 6- type known to exist in multiple published examples;
- 7- not known to be the direct product of illicit excavations after the effective date for import restrictions on numismatic material.
- 8Clarifies that no additional documentation is required beyond the sworn declarations unless there is probable cause to suspect falsity or fraud.
- 9Framed as “technical corrections” to enable lawful trade and collecting of numismatic materials while preserving safeguards.