Some translation of the news:
Serbian Customs Officers came across a letter that was sent from Pančevo, Serbia to Toronto, Canada. Inside the letter they have found three coins that could have cultural, historical or archaeological value, so they gave them to the service that will estimate their value. The same sender has also sent a letter with coins to Qatar two weeks ago. It is estimated that the coins were sent to Toronto where they would be sold on auction, but it is believed that the values on the auctions is way below the true value of the coins. This letter is therefore handled as a attempt to illegally transfer antiquities worldwide.
But I think it was just a Numista swap Check the link for some photos.
Numista referee for Liechtenstein, Ragusa and Saint Barthelemy
In general I'm fine with countries taking action against their cultural heritage being exported for a profit. I guess long established museum stock freely on view to the public is OK but apart from that, the treasures of Egypt belong with the Egyptian people, not in the private collection of some ultra rich elite. The same holds true of Serbia or any other country for that matter.
Where I part company with such well intentioned ideas is when it all rolls downhill and greedy governments use what is a commendable program as a cash cow to fleece everyday collectors through import / export duties or other forms of legalized theft. There's a world of difference between exporting unique Mummies and classical period statues to the wealthy, and a couple of collectors making a swap of some unremarkable coins produced by the millions.
The base of the pyramid is the widest part so there's much more profit to be made by confiscating $10 from a million people than there is from taking $100,000 from ten. Especially as those ten guys can afford very expensive lawyers to fight back.
It's always been the belief that these type of restrictions are intended only to prevent illegally exporting rare antiquities or money laundering and that the everyday coins we enjoy swapping are just accidentally caught in the net due to ignorant postal workers or border officials. Now it seems that cash starved governments are extending the definitions to quite specifically include collectable coins. Recent announcements have confirmed this.
Things are starting to look bleak. Many, many American collectors are already reluctant to trade outside the US borders because of the postal costs. Adding yet more expense and a lot of bureaucracy is not going to help matters at all.
Non illegitimis carborundum est. Excellent advice for all coins.
Make Numismatics Great Again!
At first I thought, well maybe these were rare Serbian silver coins from the mid-19th century (such as the 1879 5 Dinaras), and maybe the authorities did have some legit ground for the seizure...
But then I clicked the link and saw some shabby common Austrian Empire coins at the centre of the mess. I can only hope the sender receives his coins anyway after an "expert" determines the "antiquities" are hardly worth anything.
Oh..... Don't get me started with Serbian customs....
Every time I want to send coins, they send me to a customs office to 'check' coins and then HE (or she) estimates the value of my coins. Usually the value of coins I send does not go over 10 euros in circulating value or numismatic value. But, according to those smart arses, it is always enormous value and they think that I dug out some 'old' coins.
There is a law in Serbia that you cannot send SERBIAN coins and notes that are cultural diversion, This means coins/notes older than 1939 (from Kingdom of Serbia/Yugoslavia). If you want to, you need a licence from the National Bank of Serbia. If they decline your licence proposal, the coins can (and will) be confiscated and put in the museum.
Even now, after about 30 swaps (even outside Numista) the customs 'torture' me and my beautiful packaged coins.
I always say there are coins in the package and have never had any trouble mailing from the US. I also never mail anything of real value either so the amount I put as a value is always low.
Check the link for some photos. 
