02-18-2010, 01:16 PM
Personally, I think it is a good bit more than "just" a "philosophical" issue". I tend to be more forgiving to what the owner of these things (the recipient) may have done to them. If he (she) wanted to polish them to smooth chunks of metal, if he wanted to drool food and drink all over the ribbon, of if he wanted to embalm his documents in plastic it may be numismatically unfortunate, but it was his right. I would find such behavior by a later custodian who misunderstood these historical items as his (her) private property to be inexcusable. I would deeply regret the first sort of behavior although it is part of the history of the item, but I would reconsider my stance on capital punishment in the second case.
But, yes, in this case the end result is the same.
But, yes, in this case the end result is the same.
