People and markets

Between Geopolitics and Digital Twins: A Look Back at the ZukunftsForum bullion 2026

Frankfurt as a hub for tangible assets: over 300 experts met at the second ZukunftsForum bullion to address geopolitics, inflation, and market volatility. Report by Sebastian Wieschowski.
read more at our partner SIXBID

John Richard Melville-Jones (1933-2026)

John Richard Melville-Jones lived in Perth, Australia. Despite this, only few historians and numismatists were better connected than he was. He passed away earlier this year at the age of 92.
read more at our partner SIXBID

Between Geopolitics and Digital Twins: A Look Back at the ZukunftsForum bullion 2026

Frankfurt as a hub for tangible assets: over 300 experts met at the second ZukunftsForum bullion to address geopolitics, inflation, and market volatility. Report by Sebastian Wieschowski.
read more at our partner SIXBID

John Richard Melville-Jones (1933-2026)

John Richard Melville-Jones lived in Perth, Australia. Despite this, only few historians and numismatists were better connected than he was. He passed away earlier this year at the age of 92.
read more at our partner SIXBID







Come to think of it

Coin Show Etiquette: How a Collector Should Conduct Themselves at the Dealer’s Table

Good manners seem outdated. Some customers act entitled, which hurts their popularity. Good manners prevent conflicts—we’ll see what they mean for a collector at a coin show.
read more at our partner SIXBID

The end for Berlin’s Institute of Archaeology?

Humboldt University says the Institute of Archaeology must be restructured due to budget cuts, affecting numismatics seminars too. Is this closure a sign of the times?
read more at our partner SIXBID

Coin Show Etiquette: How a Collector Should Conduct Themselves at the Dealer’s Table

Good manners seem outdated. Some customers act entitled, which hurts their popularity. Good manners prevent conflicts—we’ll see what they mean for a collector at a coin show.
read more at our partner SIXBID

The end for Berlin’s Institute of Archaeology?

Humboldt University says the Institute of Archaeology must be restructured due to budget cuts, affecting numismatics seminars too. Is this closure a sign of the times?
read more at our partner SIXBID

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Coins, Medals and more

Birds of Paradise in the German Empire

Arguably the most fine and wanted commemorative coin of the German Empire features a bird of paradise. This motif was chosen for reasons that went beyond mere aesthetics.
read more at our partner SIXBID

Kumaragupta and the Rhinoceros

While Rome struggled in the West, Gupta culture flourished in northern India. Their coins rival Rome’s. Here is a coin of Kumaragupta, the rhino slayer.
read more at our partner SIXBID

Archive

Silver for Württemberg

In the early modern period, much of the Black Forest, an idyllic mountain range in southwestern Germany, was a booming industrial center. A major part of the silver used to mint Württemberg coins came from this region. The Heinz-Falk Gaiser Collection, on offer at Künker on 23 September 2024, includes many coins made from Black Forest silver.

Joachimsthal and the Reformation

On 29 January 2025, Künker will auction a series of valuable Renaissance medals. They feature biblical topics and were minted in the region of Joachimsthal to spread the teachings of the Reformation. Johannes Mathesius, the author of Luther’s Table Talk, may have been at the origin of some of the motifs.

The wedding of Archduke Charles and Zita in 1911. On the left the wedding couple, on the right, 81-year-old Emperor Franz Joseph, whom Charles will succeed as emperor in 1916.

Charles I of Austria-Hungary: A Hapless Emperor Who Was Beatified

In the context of its Summer Auction Sales, Künker will offer the only gold coin of the last Austro-Hungarian Emperor that is available on the market. Johannes Nollé tells the story of this coin and its commissioner, who died in Madeira aged only 35.

Fascinating Change: The 50 State Quarters of the USA – a Milestone

By means of the 50 State Quarters, the US Mint succeeded in rekindling the people’s love of coins and bringing it to the next generation. What was so special about this series? Let’s look back.

On the road

The Coin and Stamp Market on Plaza Mayor

Madrid is unique worldwide: nowhere else has hosted a coin and stamp market every Sunday for nearly a century. At around 100 stalls, collectors of all ages browse coins from ancient times to the euro.
read more at our partner SIXBID

French Reparations, the Imperial War Treasury, and the July Uprising

After the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71), France paid Germany 5 billion francs—but what became of it, and how did it shape German power? A visit to Spandau Fortress.
read more at our partner SIXBID

The Coin and Stamp Market on Plaza Mayor

Madrid is unique worldwide: nowhere else has hosted a coin and stamp market every Sunday for nearly a century. At around 100 stalls, collectors of all ages browse coins from ancient times to the euro.
read more at our partner SIXBID

Who is who

Fun

Franklin’s World:

Good to know

Selling coins and the age-old question: How do I get the most for my coins?

Consigning items for auction requires choosing the right auction house—one that gives the collection proper attention and reaches the right buyers. Commission is often a secondary consideration.
read more at our partner SIXBID

What is provenance?

Provenance: This term plays a decisive role in the coin trade today. Provenances are worth their weight in gold. The same antique coin with a proper provenance can cost several times more than it would without provenance. So what is provenance?
read more at our partner SIXBID

The Coin and Stamp Market on Plaza Mayor

Madrid is unique worldwide: nowhere else has hosted a coin and stamp market every Sunday for nearly a century. At around 100 stalls, collectors of all ages browse coins from ancient times to the euro.
read more at our partner SIXBID