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Bringing back coin collection from Europe to USA

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Bringing back coin collection from Europe to USA

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Old Sep 22, 2010, 9:45 pm
  #1  
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Bringing back coin collection from Europe to USA

im going home (Poland)for Christmas and i have large coin collection that i would like to bring back to USA with me on a carry on baggage . the coins are from WWII era and older . Will there be a problem with security and customs ???


any advice will help
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Old Sep 23, 2010, 7:03 am
  #2  
 
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If you have any docmentation regarding these coins, it would be wise to carry it with you.

Are they considered antiquities by the Polish gov? If so, you may want to visit with them before you try to take the coins out of the country.
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Old Sep 23, 2010, 9:33 pm
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Remember that for customs purposes, the face value of the coins is what matters for declaration purposes. If your coin collection has a face value of 5000 Zloty, then you wouldn't need to declare, as that is far less than $10,000 USD. You can always track back the conversion rates, as there have been 4-5 versions of the Zloty in that time.
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Old Sep 24, 2010, 7:36 am
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You shouldn't have any problems. I brought back home (to Canada) a bunch of coins from Europe 2 years ago (pre-euro coins that someone collected for me, as a souvenir). No problem.
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Old Sep 24, 2010, 12:53 pm
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I go back and forth with collectable coins all the time. No problems with security unless they are in rolls. The rolls show up solid on the scanners so a hand search is often completed.

For CBP it depends on when and how they are aquired for duty, and as others have noted, the face value will be below (I presume) 10k$usd so no FINCEN dec is needed.

Ciao,
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Old Sep 24, 2010, 12:55 pm
  #6  
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not sure about value, but i know i have some old silver coins that might be worth some money as a Antique coin , and i have some special issued silver coins dated 1995-2000 they i bought back in a days. no documentations i bought them when i was young in antique stores over 10 years . so i have about 300 coins now . i don't want any issues at the airport and them thinking they they can take them from me .

if i was gonna put a $ price on it it will be somewhere around 5K
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Old Sep 25, 2010, 10:43 pm
  #7  
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Originally Posted by N1120A
Remember that for customs purposes, the face value of the coins is what matters for declaration purposes. If your coin collection has a face value of 5000 Zloty, then you wouldn't need to declare, as that is far less than $10,000 USD. You can always track back the conversion rates, as there have been 4-5 versions of the Zloty in that time.
That doesn't make sense to me. For the FinCen form, yes I agree. But if the coins have a market value as collectables that exceed their face value, then I think OP would have to declare the difference in collectable and face value on the standard customs declaration.
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Old Nov 30, 2010, 9:52 am
  #8  
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so based on everyone's feedback i will not have problems with TSA or customs with my 300+coin collection .
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Old Nov 30, 2010, 11:38 am
  #9  
Ari
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Originally Posted by nosferatu2xlc
so based on everyone's feedback i will not have problems with TSA or customs with my 300+coin collection .
You will not have any problem so long as you declare it to Customs. You may wish to carry with you some documentation of the value of the collection if that is practical.

The TSA should not have a problem with it and it is none of their business; they may have to inspect it by hand since the x-ray probably can't see through it very well.
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Old Dec 1, 2010, 10:34 am
  #10  
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am i declaring it to US customs when i get to MCO from Europe . is there form that need to be filled out ?
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Old Dec 1, 2010, 10:57 am
  #11  
 
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Dear nosferatu2xlc,

I have it from good sources that almost anything produced in Poland before 1945 needs a special permit from the Ministry of Culture before being exported abroad.

If you want to do it legally, make sure to obtain respective permits, as well as declare it to the customs officer at the port of exit from Poland. You might need to present documents confirming the value of coins you want to export.

Assuming you speak any Polish, please consult this website: http://www.oozp.org.pl/strona.php?str_id=13

Edit: To keep it in the scope of TS/S: As a reminder, the airport checkpoints at all Polish airports are staffed by the customs / border patrol LEOs (unlike in many other countries). You REALLY do not want to be caught trying to smuggle something really valuable without permit, as you might end up as an involuntary guest of Polish prison system.

Last edited by TamCaP; Dec 1, 2010 at 2:03 pm
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Old Dec 1, 2010, 12:12 pm
  #12  
 
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Originally Posted by nosferatu2xlc
am i declaring it to US customs when i get to MCO from Europe . is there form that need to be filled out ?
Read page 51 of Know Before You Go.

You may bring into or take out of the country, including
by mail, as much money as you wish. However, if
it is more than $10,000, you will need to report it to
CBP. Ask the CBP officer for the Currency Reporting
Form (FinCen 105). The penalties for non-compliance
can be severe.
“Money” means monetary instruments and includes U.S.
or foreign coins currently in circulation, currency, travelers’
checks in any form, money orders, and negotiable
instruments or investment securities in bearer form.
Hmmm ... reading this may exempt coins which are not "currently in circulation." Just ask the officer.
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