Archive: People and Markets
Monnaie de Paris Faces Criticism from Enthusiastic Collectors
As athletes around the world prepare to deliver top performances at the Olympic Games, the Monnaie de Paris – France’s prestigious mint – has disqualified itself in the eyes of many collectors for unsporting behaviour. What happened?
More Than 2,000 Medieval Denarii Discovered in Czechia
It is said to be one of the most important Czech coin hoards of the last 10 years: more than 2,000 coins from the period around 1100 have been discovered near Kutná Hora. The find dates from a time of conflict between members of the Přemyslid dynasty for control of the Prague princely throne.
Archive: Coins, Medals and more

The First Piece of Mail Sent Using a Stamp to Be Offered at Sotheby’s
A Penny Black affixed to a Mulready envelope is among the most valuable items in Philately ever offered at auction. The earliest posted envelope using a prepaid stamp, dating to 1840, will be sold at Sotheby’s with an estimate of $1.5–2.5 million.

Sisi and Franz: Commemorating the Dream Wedding that Was Actually a Nightmare
As part of the phaleristic auction 415 on 28 October 2024, Künker will be auctioning the set of gold medals that Emperor Franz Joseph presented to his father-in-law, Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria. It is the numismatic souvenir of a wedding that turned out to be a nightmare for his daughter – young Elisabeth, who is better known as Sissi or Sisi today.















Minerva Magazine Ceased Publishing
The archaeological journal Minerva, founded in 1990, will discontinue its service with its last issue in July/August 2023. The reason for this, it says, are the lingering effects of the pandemic and increased costs. The last issue can be downloaded for free.
Royal Canadian Mint Reports Profits and Performance for 2022
The Royal Canadian Mint published their financial results for 2022. As expected they remained below 2021 levels.