Ancient Coin-Collecting Doc Out on Bail

A world-renowned hand and wrist surgeon from Barrington who faces charges of receiving stolen property – a rare Greek coin known as a Tetradrachm -- is out on bail of $200,000 while waiting a possible grand jury indictment in New York City.

Dr. Arnold-Peter C. Weiss, 51, of Nayatt Road, a partner in University Orthopedics, was arraigned in New York criminal court, said Diem Tran, a senior press officer in the New York County District Attorney’s Office.

“But because he is being charged with a felony, a grand jury must vote to indict him,” Tran said. “If they do vote on an indictment, possibly on March 21, then he must be arraigned in Supreme Court.”

Weiss, a member of the Brown Medical School faculty and former trustee at RISD, is being charged with criminal possession of stolen property in the second degree. He allegedly attempted to sell the 4th century BC silver coin at an auction in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on Jan. 3 this year. The coin, unearthed several years ago, is reportedly the property of the Italian government, which cooperated in the investigation.

Weiss, a collector of coins for many years and the owner of a Swiss coin brokerage, Nomos AG in Zurich, reportedly tried to sell the coin for approximately $350,000 after he bought it for $250,000. 

Attempts to reach Weiss were not successful. See a story on eastbayri.com and Coin World for more information.