74Lucania. Metapont.
Didrachm, 400/340 BC. Attractive piece.
Very rare, particularly in this condition.
Dionysus head of the finest style.
Ex Hirsch VIII, München 1903, no. 792.
Estimate: 20.000 EUR

223Sicily. Syracuse.
Decadrachm around 400/390 BC, unsigned.
Splendid patina, extremely fine.
Estimate: 25.000 EUR

728Cyrenaica. Kyrene.
Stater 331/322 BC.
Very rare. Very fine.
Estimate: 30.000 EUR

1024Roman Empire.
Otho, 69.
Aureus, Rome.
Rare.
Good very fine.
Estimate: 50.000 EUR

1118Pertinax, 193.
Aureus, Rome.
Very rare.
Attractive piece.
Ex Huntington (Inventar-no. ANS 1001.1.30032).
Estimate: 50.000 EUR

2834Roman Republic.
Denarius, 48 B.C., Rome.
L. Hostilius Saserna.
Very rare.
Attractive toning, extremely fine.
Ex Sternberg VI, Zürich 1976, no. 758.
Estimate: 2.000 EUR

3023Roman Empire.
Augustus, 30 BCE–14 CE.
Aureus, 19/18 BCE, Ephesus (Ionia).
Very rare.
Min. Very fine.
Estimate: 10.000 EUR

4065Sicily. Syracuse.
50 litren, 405/400 B.C.
Struck with a slightly rusty obverse die,
very fine-extremely fine/extremely fine.
Estimate: 4.000 EUR

4549Roman Empire.
Alexander of Carthage, 308–309.
Follis, Carthage.
Very rare.
Broad flan, small double strike, good very fine.
Estimate: 4.000 EUR

4553Roman Empire.
Aureus, 315/316, Siscia.
Of the highest rarity.
Probably unique.
Small scratch on the obverse; otherwise extremely fine.
Estimate: 7.500 EUR

People and markets

Heritage establishes a philately department

On 24 September 2026, Heritage announced that it was setting up its own ‘Philately’ department. To this end, Heritage is collaborating with Charles Shreve and Tracy Carey, who both worked for Heritage more than 35 years ago.
read more at our partner SIXBID

Numisfero continues Verona’s numismatic tradition

The famous Veronafil is moving to Bologna. Does this spell the end of the numismatic tradition of Verona’s collectors’ fairs? No. Because a group of coin enthusiasts have launched a new event called Numisfero.
read more at our partner SIXBID

Heritage establishes a philately department

On 24 September 2026, Heritage announced that it was setting up its own ‘Philately’ department. To this end, Heritage is collaborating with Charles Shreve and Tracy Carey, who both worked for Heritage more than 35 years ago.
read more at our partner SIXBID

Numisfero continues Verona’s numismatic tradition

The famous Veronafil is moving to Bologna. Does this spell the end of the numismatic tradition of Verona’s collectors’ fairs? No. Because a group of coin enthusiasts have launched a new event called Numisfero.
read more at our partner SIXBID

Come to think of it

What’s going wrong with the COTY? Proposals for reform

Three awards for the Austrian Mint, three for the Monnaie de Paris, and the most inspiring coin comes from Ukraine. Just like in recent years. Does this result truly reflect the market?
read more at our partner SIXBID

Report on cultural property protection

Cultural Property News laments the fact that the arguments put forward by the largest lobbying group representing the US anti-collectors’ faction – the Antiquities Coalition – are based on lies.
read more at our partner SIXBID

What’s going wrong with the COTY? Proposals for reform

Three awards for the Austrian Mint, three for the Monnaie de Paris, and the most inspiring coin comes from Ukraine. Just like in recent years. Does this result truly reflect the market?
read more at our partner SIXBID

Report on cultural property protection

Cultural Property News laments the fact that the arguments put forward by the largest lobbying group representing the US anti-collectors’ faction – the Antiquities Coalition – are based on lies.
read more at our partner SIXBID

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Coins, Medals and more

Duke Albrecht V, Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian and the Habsburgs

On 18 and 19 November 2026, NAC will auction a further part of the Traveller Collection. We would like to present a quite special piece from this collection: a 25-ducat donative struck by the Duke of Bavaria. It is remarkable not only because of its estimate of CHF 150,000, but also because it mentions a ruler who had already been dead for two centuries at the time it was struck. We explain why.
read more at our partner SIXBID

Where Coinage Began

An auction by Numismatica Genevensis SA takes us back to the very beginning of coinage. NGSA presents 49 exquisite electrum coins of the utmost rarity and archaic beauty from the Baron Lorne Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection and various other owners. Join us on a numismatic journey through time. We'll take you to where our coinage began.
read more at our partner SIXBID

Archive

A War Fought with Unusual Weapons: How Prussia Used Finance and Politics to Force the Habsburg Hereditary Lands Out of the German Confederation

On 26 March 2024, the Künker auction house will offer the Tursky Collection with coins of Emperor Franz Joseph I. We use specimens from this collection to tell the story of how Prussia used its economic sway to become the sole hegemonic power in Germany.

A Commemorative Coin Celebrating the Completion of Austria’s Southern Railway

Commemorative coins were issued far less frequently in the 19th century than today. The fact that Emperor Franz Joseph dedicated a commemorative coin to the Austrian Southern Railway is therefore testimony to the outstanding importance of this line. In auction 408, Künker is offering two of only 1,644 specimens minted.

Einer der Höhepunkte von Künker Auktion 395 ist eine spektakuläre Goldmedaille zu 110 Dukaten, die aus dem persönlichen Besitz von Fürst Ferdinand I. von Bulgarien stammt. Diese Medaille führt uns mitten hinein in eine Zeit, in der Bulgarien seine Wirtschaft modernisierte. Der Fürst packte dabei tatkräftig mit an. Und die Eisenbahn spielte dabei eine zentrale Rolle.

Bulgaria, Prince Ferdinand I and the Railroad

One of the highlights of Künker’s auction 395 is a spectacular gold medal with a weight of 110 ductats. It was the personal property of Prince Ferdinand I. of Bulgaria. This medal takes us back into a period when Bulgaria modernized its economy. And the railroad system played a major role in this.

Railway tunnel under Surami pass near the village Tsipa, Chkherimela valley, Georgia 2014. Image: Karel61 via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0. In front: Silver medal commemorating the opening of the Suram Tunnel in 1890 by L. Steinman. Künker auction 408, No. 234.

For Railroad Fans: The Suram Tunnel

Railroad history is linked to numismatics in many ways. Fascinating large-scale projects were often celebrated with medals and commemorative coins. Our example takes us to Georgia: A medal that will be offered for auction by Künker commemorates the opening of the Suram Tunnel.

On the road

Boston Is Getting a Museum of American Finance

Boston is opening a new Museum of American Finance: Discover rare banknotes, U.S. financial history, and interactive exhibits exploring the world of money.
read more at our partner SIXBID

Japan Mint: Hiroshima Branch

The Japan Mint doesn’t just produce beautiful circulation coins. It also manages the entire production process in-house, from the blank to the finished coin. This makes Japan one of the few countries that are completely self-sufficient when it comes to its circulation coins. We visited the branch of the Japan Mint in Hiroshima.
read more at our partner SIXBID

Boston Is Getting a Museum of American Finance

Boston is opening a new Museum of American Finance: Discover rare banknotes, U.S. financial history, and interactive exhibits exploring the world of money.
read more at our partner SIXBID

Who is who

Fun

Franklin’s World:

Good to know

Good to know: What exactly is a patina?

Patina, toning: when a coin takes on color, coin collectors have many terms for it. But what exactly is a patina? Does it increase the coin’s value? You’ll find out this and much more in this article. We’ll also be showcasing coins from the German Empire with a stunning patina. They are from the upcoming Auction 94 at Heidelberger Münzhandlung.
read more at our partner SIXBID

How do commemorative coins differ from collector coins?

For a long time, I thought the term ‘collector coin’ was a made-up term coined by uninformed mints. A collector coin is, in fact, by no means a commemorative coin.
read more at our partner SIXBID

Boston Is Getting a Museum of American Finance

Boston is opening a new Museum of American Finance: Discover rare banknotes, U.S. financial history, and interactive exhibits exploring the world of money.
read more at our partner SIXBID