1 20 1 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/77763/archive/files/5695a7dd05aae7e9a0eebb5d121fae57.jpg?Expires=1787184000&Signature=rWi5j7xUbQSgFWk2qP9fE5cCypf59AYItRrsM-Njg7OeYAu7QtgI91RCuQgvHX8N7bV7K8m9rN1dbsIDxMYIv1OMvHr6yBS7ZEpk4cq2VGXUVd58WJLkDhuN4vo-cROUF6AnVStoaoOYVxLkz2RAFl4kXpAcIhFNblBVjbx%7E0QrzdU7fh7uYQnxXOu8aXan29Z9PwERr4mw9ikm8K0nRUZC63gBStF04dk3eQcyJAL1e-ew9pO%7EBlYlsvJrOVCFb0f6PqJpIaZAP%7EXqFnnyrdbdq12KnNaYCUV8WmUA6BWKBaDLyM4LTOnrN6gi9mDeUP8T1-vPRUyiCO2SSjBXsKQ__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 6f6cea5847ea88a366eaf6eb19c73eed Physical Object An inanimate, three-dimensional object or substance. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these objects should use Moving Image, Still Image, Text or one of the other types. Object or Group Name The common English name of the object or group of objects. Sicily Naxos Coin Object Type Type of object based on its function. Select from drop-down list. Currency Number of Objects Count of objects reflected in this record. 1 Object Materials Material(s) that the object or group of objects is made of. Select from drop-down list. Silver Description of Object(s) Provide a brief description of the object or objects in the record. The Sicily Naxos Coin, a silver tetradrachm, minted circa 430 BCE in the Greek colony of Naxos, in eastern Sicily. Dimensions: diameter 28mm, height 8mm; weight: 17.33g. Country of Origin The modern country of origin that this object came from (i.e. where it was found). Select from drop-down list. Italy Culture Ancient culture associated with the object. Greek Findspot Approximate site or location where the object was found (i.e. the archaeological provenience). Naxos Dealer Person(s) who offered the object for sale. Richard Beale Italo Vecchi Auction House Auction house(s) that offered the object for auction. Roma Numismatics Limited (London) Auction Realized Price Approximate sale price of the object at auction. Should be displayed in USD, alongside list price in original currency. GBP 240,000 (USD $311,981) Repatriated? Repatriation status of the object. Select from drop-down list. Yes Sending Country Country from which the object was returned during repatriation. Select from drop-down list. USA Receiving Country Country that received the object during repatriation. Select from drop-down list. Italy Sources Reliable sources of information related to the object and its repatriation. Preference to primary sources (court records, documents, archival sources) and authoritative secondary sources (media reports, blogs etc.). For links, use a stable URL via Internet Archive. Roma Numismatics Limited. Auction XX Day 1, 29-10-2020, Lot 65. Sicily, Naxos AR Tetradrachm <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://www.romanumismatics.com/221-lot-65-sicily-naxos-ar-tetradrachm?arr=0&auction_id=75&box_filter=0&cat_id=&department_id=&exclude_keyword=&export_issue=0&gridtype=listview&high_estimate=500000&image_filter=0&keyword=&list_type=list_view&lots_per_page=100&low_estimate=100&month=&page_no=1&paper_filter=0&search_type=&sort_by=cur_high_low&view=lot_detail&year=">https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://www.romanumismatics.com/221-lot-65-sicily-naxos-ar-tetradrachm?arr=0&auction_id=75&box_filter=0&cat_id=&department_id=&exclude_keyword=&export_issue=0&gridtype=listview&high_estimate=500000&image_filter=0&keyword=&list_type=list_view&lots_per_page=100&low_estimate=100&month=&page_no=1&paper_filter=0&search_type=&sort_by=cur_high_low&view=lot_detail&year=</a> D.A. Bragg Returns 14 Stolen Antiquities to Italy <a href="https://manhattanda.org/d-a-bragg-returns-14-stolen-antiquities-to-italy/">https://manhattanda.org/d-a-bragg-returns-14-stolen-antiquities-to-italy/</a> Documents Link to key records or publications related to the object that are not available online. <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24172056-italo-vecchi-criminal-complaint">NY v Italo Vecchi Criminal Complaint</a> <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24242162-ny-v-richard-beale-roma">NY v Richard Beale ROMA</a> <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24244917-2023-06-27-15-51-2023-02-01-to-beale-coins-2p-o">Beale Coins Turnover Order</a> Status Completion status of MOLA record. Select from drop-down list: Stub (Needs basic research), Incomplete (Missing key fields), In progress (Has been assigned), Ready for review (Complete; awaiting peer review) and Completed (Ready to publish). Only Completed records are made Public. Completed MOLA Contributor(s) Person(s) who contributed to the information in this record. Anonymous is an acceptable entry. Jason Felch Size General size of the object (numbered 1-5); 1 - small or fragmentary (e.g. coins or sherds) 2 - medium (e.g. most vases) 3 - large (e.g. between a bread box and an adult) 4 - extra large (i.e. adult human sized) 5 - monumental (larger than an adult human) 1 Law Enforcement Entity The law enforcement entities that investigated the object before its repatriation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) United States Attorney’s Office Eastern District of New York United States Customs and Border Protection Italian Government Alternate Name(s) Other names by which the object or group is known; these may be formal titles, museum titles or colloquial titles, if different from the above Object or Group Name. Sicily, Naxos AR Tetradrachm Auction Details Include details about the auction, such as: Location of the auction house branch (i.e. London, New York). Date of auction(s). Lot number used to offer the object at auction. Estimated value or value range in the auction listing, displayed in USD alongside price in original currency. Location of the auction house branch: Roma Numismatics Limited, London (online) Sale title: Auction XX Day 1 Date of auction(s): October 29, 2020 Lot number: 65 False Provenance A false story about the object’s ownership history, used to hide the illicit activities through which the object was trafficked. From Roma Numismatics Limited: "From the collection of the Baron Dominique de Chambrier, original attestation of provenance included; Ex collection of Bernard de Chambrier (1878-1963) and Marie Alvine Irma von Bonstetten (1893-1968); Ex collection of the Baron Gustave Charles Ferdinand von Bonstetten, Chamberlain to Ferdinand I, Emperor of Austria." Beale listed the country of origin as Turkey Last Known Price, Valuation or Estimate The most recent reported price, valuation or estimate of the object. Should be displayed in USD, alongside list price in original currency. USD $500,000 Year of Last Price Year of the most recent reported price, valuation or estimate of the object. 2023 Year Returned Year of the return of the object to its country of origin. 2023 Case Summary Narrative summary of the object’s looting, identification by authorities and repatriation. The Sicily Naxos Coin is one of the rarest and most prized ancient coins in the world. It first entered the international art market in 2013 when Italo Vecchi, an Italian numismatist based on London , offered it to Richard Beal, the owner and managing director of Roma Numismatics Limited. The coin lacked documented provenance, but Beale and Vecchi listed it for sale with a false provenance in a Roma Numismatics online auction scheduled for October 29-30, 2020, according to court records. They claimed that it was "from the collection of the Baron Dominique de Chambrier," with the "original attestation of provenance included." Beale published a catalogue containing the false provenance on the Roma Numismatics website. On October 29, 2020, the coin was sold for GBP 240,000, or roughly USD $300,000. More than two years later, the coin was intercepted at JFK airport in New York as part of a joint investigation involving the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, United States Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Italian Government. It was returned to Italy in early 2023. Both dealers were later arrested on charges related to the sale of the coin. Beale was apprehended in the United States in January 2023 for allegedly having falsified the provenances of several coins, including the Naxos coin. He admitted paying an associate 100,000 swiss francs to sign the false provenance for the Naxos and Eid Mar coins. Beale was also accused of purchasing five coins looted from the Gaza Strip in 2017 from a convicted antiquity trafficker and selling them through Roma Numismatics with falsified provenance. In September 2023 he pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy and three counts of criminal possession of stolen property. Italo Vecchi was charged in Manhattan in June 2023 with multiple felony trafficking counts related to his role in the same of the coins. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial as of April 2024. Creation Date Year this object was created, in years BCE/CE; use circa if presenting a range. Use specific year, decade or century. 430 BCE Date Looted Approximate year that the object or group of objects was excavated or stolen. Unknown Alleged Smuggler Person(s) who moved the object out of its country of origin. Italo Vecchi Returning Entity Institution or individual that returned the object to its country of origin (not a law enforcement agency). Richard Beale Reason for Return Why the object was returned. Select from list: Law enforcement seizure; court ordered civil forfeiture; claim from country of origin; voluntary return absent a forfeiture or claim; or other. Law Enforcement Seizure Peer Reviewed By Person who peer reviewed this record. VG Prosecuting Entity The prosecutorial entity involved in the object’s repatriation. Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Value in 2024 US Dollars Value in 2024 US Dollars, adjusted for inflation. Use inflation calculator here: https://www.oanda.com/currency-converter/en/?from=EUR&to=USD&amount=1 500,000 See Also Additional records within MOLA that are other objects of interest. These are objects related to a larger collection. Breakout records have omitted 2024 Value information and Number of Objects. <a href="https://mola.omeka.net/items/show/1247">Eid Mar Coin</a> <a href="https://mola.omeka.net/items/show/1281">Two Alexander the Great coins from the Gaza Hoard</a> Court Case and Number Title of the civil or criminal case and number (e.g. New York v. Subhash Kapoor, CR-022431-19NY). NY v Richard Beale NY vs Italo Vecchi Criminal Behaviors Alleged Criminal behavior associated with the case. Please select all that apply. Document falsification Images Source of the images uploaded to this record. Images should be labeled A, B, C, etc. For links, use a stable URL via Internet Archive. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230311185344/https://www.romanumismatics.com/221-lot-65-sicily-naxos-ar-tetradrachm?arr=0&auction_id=75&box_filter=0&cat_id=&department_id=&exclude_keyword=&export_issue=0&gridtype=listview&high_estimate=500000&image_filter=0&keyword=&list_type=list_view&lots_per_page=100&low_estimate=100&month=&page_no=1&paper_filter=0&search_type=&sort_by=cur_high_low&view=lot_detail&year=">Image source</a> Research Notes Any additional notes about research questions, issues or further research needed. Other sources: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240530222744/https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/05/30/600-plus-artefacts-repatriated-us-to-italy">https://web.archive.org/web/20240530222744/https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/05/30/600-plus-artefacts-repatriated-us-to-italy </a> <a href="https://lootingmatters.blogspot.com/2023/02/further-returns-to-italy-from-san.html">https://lootingmatters.blogspot.com/2023/02/further-returns-to-italy-from-san.html</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Sicily Naxos Coin Italy Richard Beale