Weiss coins return to Turkey

LM has covered the story of Arnold Peter Weiss on previous occasions. It was announced today that 14 coins from the collection of Weiss have been returned to Turkey ("D.A. Bragg: 28 Antiquities Repatriated to the People of Turkey", press release January 21, 2022). Alongside the return of antiquities from the Steinhardt collection it was announced: "Twelve of the coins, with a collective value of $58,000, from WEISS’ collection were repatriated to Turkey as part of today’s ceremony."

This is in addition to the coins returned to Greece.

Coin collectors should note the reminder:

As part of his plea agreement and sentence, WEISS agreed to forfeit 23 coins in his possession, pay a criminal fine, perform 70 hours of community service, and author an article for the American Numismatic Society Magazine detailing the dangers of collecting unprovenanced coins.

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Collector or dealer?

I have been contacted about the status of Dr Arnold-Peter Weiss who is associated with coins that will be returning to Greece.

The ANS describes him as follows:

A collector of ancient coins, Dr. Weiss is one of the founding Partners of the second incarnation of the firm Nomos AG, of Zürich, Switzerland.

In other words he is both collector and dealer.

The recent case suggested that he was actively dealing:

Weiss was aiming to sell one of them [sc. coins] for about $350,000 and two others for about $1.2 million apiece, prosecutors said.

Coin World described him as a collector:

Dr. Arnold-Peter C. Weiss, the collector who was arrested and had coins seized Jan. 3 in New York City

We can only presume that the "collection" was known as "Cabinet W". And it appears that Weiss was the intending "seller" of these coins.

And Weiss also has clear links with Nomos AG of Zurich, Switzerland. (And see also here for the link between Nomos AG, Classical Numismatic Group and Cabinet W.)

Weiss claims to be "Trustee of the American Numismatic Society (New York)" though he is not listed in that capacity on the ANS website.

For the interchange between collector and dealer see the case of the Minneapolis krater.

So do dealers collect? Do collectors deal? How long do the "valued" objects remain in a collection before another "collector" is offered the opportunity to acquire them?

Coins returning to Greece from Rhode Island collector

Coins that had passed through the hands of a North American private collector have been returned to Greece ("U.S. returning ancient Greek coins after Manhattan DA prosecutes prominent collector", New York Daily News August 4, 2014). It is reported:

The coins were part of a case against noted Rhode Island hand surgeon and coin aficionado Dr. Arnold-Peter Weiss, whose January 2012 arrest during a coin auction at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel roiled the numismatic world.  

An orthopedics professor at Brown University's Alpert Medical School and author of a hand-surgery textbook, Weiss also had been on a coin collector and investor for 35 years and had served as on the board of the American Numismatic Society.  

He later pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of stolen property.

LM reported on the initial story back in January 2012 (as it broke during the AIA Annual Conference). The "haul" included three modern creations that may have been identified as a result of "Operation Ghelas". Issues relating to Weiss' plea were also reported in July 2012. It is also important to remember that Weiss is reported, by the ANS, to be "one of the founding Partners of the second incarnation of the firm Nomos AG, of Zürich, Switzerland". Weiss' role in the Swiss based company still features on their website. Does this case have any implications for Nomos AG?

There are some key issues that need to be addressed. How far have sophisticated numismatic forgeries penetrated the market? Do collectors, such as Dr Weiss, feel comfortable handling material that they have (apparently) been informed was fresh out of the ground? Is the numismatic market as toxic as that for antiquities? Will the ANS be making a statement about the case? What are the full documented collecting histories for the coins that Weiss has presented to the ANS?

Further details on the Weiss case can be found here.

Coin dealer case: update

It appears that the coin-dealer who was apprehended in New York earlier this year at the International Numismatic Convention has been bailed again for the hearing to be heard in July. The dealer is the owner of an IAPN member organisation.

The coins linked to the case appear to be associated with Italy. It is therefore not without significance that the name of the dealer, Arnold-Peter Weiss (described as a "coin-dealer"), appears on the list of those who gave evidence for the consideration of the MOU with Italy back in 1999 (and published in 2000). The co-owner of Weiss' numismatic company also features in the list, along with the name of the present paid lobbyist for the IAPN.

The list is well worth a look as it includes a New York private collector who has returned material to Italy, a New York based antiquities dealer who has returned material to Italy, and two museum curators whose collections have returned material to Italy.

Rhode Island Coin Collector

There have been some important observations made about the raid at a Numismatic Convention earlier this month:

• The disappearing ANS Weiss collection (Paul Barford)
• Arnold-Peter Weiss and the Rhode Island School of Design (Chasing Aphrodite)
• Doing due diligence but not knowing the law? (Paul Barford)
• A different magnitude (Paul Barford)
• "It's Your own Fault": Chasing Aphrodite on the Significance of the Weiss Investigation for Militant US Coineyism (Paul Barford)
• Exclusive: NYC DA says Prominent Surgeon Knew He Was Selling Looted Coin (Chasing Aphrodite)
• Details of New York coin bust (Paul Barford)
• Ancient Greek Coins From Italy Reportedly Seized in New York - Arrest Made (Rick St Hilaire)
• Conspiracy theory in New York (Paul Barford)