When I login with my beta characters they have 200 gold and a spellbook only, no newbie starting equipment regardless of their skill set. I understand they aren't exactly newbies anymore but shouldn't they have retained those items?
Due to the time constraints and method of the purge there was no easy way that we could avoid deleting the newbie items nor re-create the exact items that a player would receive. Since there is no way to "purge" a shard other than manually, our options were limited. However if you ask around I am sure other players would be willing to help out, and if all else fails make a post in the trade forums. New players are always looking for some extra gold.