How is it legal in the U. S. for private citzens/businesses to own and pedal artifacts of imense historical significance?

[KostasKouvalis]

I saw some episodes of "Pawn Stars". In one episode, some guy sold a Roman brothel coin. Another an ancient Greek coin. One guy tried to sell what he thought was an original Raphael sketch. Another guy the gun that he thought killed Jessie James. Another a gambling kit from a famous California gambler.

I was shocked and almost cried. If I was Indiana Jones I would break into the Pawn Stars shop and steal that shit and put it in a museum. Rick himself even said once, "This should be in a museum, but it's NOT, it's in my shop."

I thought it was illegal to own, buy, sell stuff like that, as Hong Kong is the only place you can legally trade in antique artifacts.

[alice55]

In France you can legally keep it if you have found it on your property.

But yeah it's kinda crazy people can own it, it would be cool if the people could just sell it to the museum? Like I think that would be the best option

[KostasKouvalis]

Museums usually want donation, though some may buy
That's cool. In my state some guy found gold coins in his yard from a bank robbery over a century ago and the government TOOK IT!
I was thinking if I found that, I'd trade it to the mob for cash.
But usually if you find a historic artifact, you're supposed to turn it in

[alice55]

I thought they bought it because in Indiana Jones they give him money for it
Wow that's so cool, it's sad he was no able to keep it, gold coin are usually the things people find the most easily in France they call them Louis d'or
trading to the mob when you're not used to them would surely end badly I think they would just kick yo and steal it from you
I did not I think it must depend n the law country and also what's it in France you 're alwode to keep gold coin since there's so many of them

[KostasKouvalis]

They did😂
My cousin hated that he killed like 6 people, just because it belongs in a museum😂

I'd only do it with Costa Nostra, 'cuz they have a code of honor.

You can keep invertibrate fossils. And some other things. Me and my dad found some mining artifacts exploring a remote canyon near our town, but we just left them. If it was gold, I probably would've taken it

[alice55]

XD
Well he needed to save the artefact he had no choice XD

It's good then they kept the old code of honor like Italian mafia in the old time

That's true
If I found some I would have took them and make a museum in my house that would be cool to show to people and my family

[KostasKouvalis]

What about the one he tried to steal from the natives?😂
Did you see the new one?

Yeah. I'm not doing business with Russian mafia😂
Organized crime especially drug dealing back in the day used to be a gentlemans game.

Yeah. I kind of half a souvenir museum.

My mom would yell if we brought home a rusty mining nail. I could've donated it to one of the local museums, but it was in an ecological reserve, so I don't know if I'd get in trouble for taking it.
We got so much poison oak, but I thought it was worth it. Who knows when the last time was someone was down there and the landscape was incredible! I wanted to reach the bottom of this waterfall that flows into a crevice. I wanna discover/document something new

[KimmySchmit]

You mean stuff that was never owned by a museum.

[KostasKouvalis]

Yes, but of incredible historical significance

[KimmySchmit]

My father has placed above the mantle a turf spade used by my grandfather, great grandfather, great great grandfather and great great great grandfather. It was purchased off a blacksmith 126 years ago. Should our small piece of family history be seized by a museum?

[KostasKouvalis]

Unless it killed Kazimir Pulaski, no

[KimmySchmit]

A piece of surviving history of a time that no longer exists. Nobody cuts turf (or peat) anymore, at least not by hand. With that spade my great great grandfather discovered a great irish elk from the ice age.
youtube.com/shorts/tVx6xajFPds?si=DY5GvHlW-mI9OZjz
upload.wikimedia.org/.../...hite_background%29.jpg

[WindAtMyBack]

I've seen Pawn Star shows when they refused to buy something because it was illegal for them to do so. I don't know how strict the laws are, but they do exist.

I don't have a problem with private collectors owning some things. But I think some antiquities should be given back to the country they came from. Like why is the Rosetta Stone in England?

[KostasKouvalis]

Probably because if it stayed in Egypt it would be locked away in a basement, scrapped or looted.

[Kaneki05]

That's how capitalism works, and it's subjective to what an antique is you could say in 30 years from now something becomes an antique that isn't now. So if you own it and could sell it now why not in 30 years?
Which is why laws on what or can't be is subjective to what and why.

[In_Trance]

Smh... You can't be serious

[KostasKouvalis]

I AM serious. And don't call me "smh"