August 11, 2016 – On June 23, 2016 the German Bundestag (Federal Government) adopted the new German Cultural Property Protection Act, and on July 8, 2016 the Bundesrat (Federal Council) also approved. Now, the Federal President has also signed the law, which was published in the Federal Law Gazette on August 5. Therewith, the German Cultural Property Protection Act has come into effect on August 6.
You can read the German wording of the new German Cultural Property Protection Act here.
The following overview was published by the Office for Culture and the Media, specifying the valid age and value limits for export:
| Export from EU | Export within EU | |||
| Age | Value | Age | Value | |
| 1. Archaeological items | 100 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
| 2. Parts of artistic and architectural monuments | 100 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
| 3. Pictures and paintings | 50 | 150,000 | 75 | 300,000 |
| 4. Watercolors / gouaches / pastel pictures | 50 | 30,000 | 75 | 100,000 |
| 5. Mosaics / drawings | 50 | 15,000 | 75 | 50,000 |
| 6. Engravings / prints / lithographs / posters | 50 | 15,000 | 75 | 50,000 |
| 7. Sculptures | 50 | 50,000 | 75 | 100,000 |
| 8. Photographs / films / negatives | 50 | 15,000 | 75 | 50,000 |
| 9. Manuscripts | 50 | 0 | 75 | 50,000 |
| 10. Books | 100 | 50,000 | 100 | 100,000 |
| 11. Maps | 200 | 15,000 | 200 | 30,000 |
| 12. Archives | 50 | 0 | 50 | 50,000 |
| 13. a) Collections of specimens from zoological, botanical, mineralogical or anatomical collections | 0 | 50,000 | 0 | 100,000 |
| 13. b) Collections of historical paleontological, ethnographic or numismatic interest | 0 | 50,000 | 0 | 100,000 |
| 14. Means of transport | 75 | 50,000 | 150 | 100,000 |
| 15. a) Any other antique item | 50-100 | 50,000 | 100 | 100,000 |
| 15. b) Any other antique item | über 100 | 50,000 | 100 | 100,000 |
Caution: When exported to another EU country, coins are not considered archaeological items if they are available in a great number, if do not really add to archaeological knowledge and are not placed under protection by any EU member country as customizable individual objects. In this case it is not necessary to request any export permission. According to the decision of the Bundesfinanzgerichtshof (Federal Fiscal Court), the same applies for the export to non-EU countries. A classification of coins as archaeological items shall only apply if the relevant coins are not “mass-produced goods”.
On the basis of the legislative text, the Associations of German Coin Dealers currently prepare a guideline for legally correct collecting in Germany. As soon as it is finished, CoinsWeekly will inform you.
CoinsWeekly conducted an interview with Ansgar Heveling, who talked about the impact of the new German Cultural Property Protection Act.
CoinsWeekly also reported on the Bundestag debate on the German Cultural Property Protection Act.
Although many consider it not a matter to laugh about, our cartoonist Claire Franklin finds her own meaning in the new German Cultural Property Protection Act.