154Prussia. Frederick William IV, 1840–1861.
Gold medal in the weight of 50 ducats
commemorating the publication of the second volume
of Alexander von Humboldt’s *Kosmos*.
NGC MS 65 PL.
From the estate of Emperor William I.Estimate: 40.000 Euro

166Prussia. Frederick William IV, 1840–1861.
Gold medal in the weight of 50 ducats commemorating
the unveiling of the equestrian statue of
Frederick the Great on Unter den Linden in Berlin in 1851.
NGC MS 63 PL.
From the estate of Emperor William I.Estimate: 25.000 Euro

191Prussia. William I, 1861–1888.
General’s Medal in the weight of 120 ducats, 1871,
commemorating the victory over France.
A magnificent specimen.
From the estate of Emperor William I.Estimate: 75.000 Euro

297Russia. Nicholas I, 1825–1855. Family ruble.
1 1/2 rubles (10 zlotys), 1835, St. Petersburg.
NGC MS 64 (Top Pop).
Only 36 examples struck.
A cabinet piece from polished dies.
From the estate of King Frederick William IV.Estimate: 250.000 Euro

1098Holland. Province.
5 ducats, 1681.
Struck with the dies of a guilder.
NGC PF 64 Cameo.
Proof.Estimate: 40.000 Euro

1192HRE. Ferdinand II, 1592–1618–1637.
5 ducats, 1634, Vienna.
Extremely rare.
Extremely fine-uncirculated.Estimate: 10.000 Euro

1266HRE. Vienna.
Salvator Medal in the weight of 12 ducats,
n. d.(around 1840).
NGC PF 61 CAMEO.
Proof.Estimate: 15.000 Euro

1334City of Regensburg.
5 ducats, n. d. (1708–1710),
with the title of Joseph I. NGC MS 64.
Extremely rare. According to mint records,
only 7 copies struck.
A magnificent piece.Estimate: 25.000 Euro

1602German New Guinea.
10 New Guinea Marks, 1895 A.
NGC MS 65.
A magnificent piece.Estimate: 50.000 Euro

2757Saxony.
John Frederick the Magnanimous and
Maurice, 1541–1547.
Trinity Medal, 1544.
A masterpiece of German medal art. Magnificent,
excellent craftsmanship.Estimate: 75.000 Euro

Archive: People and Markets

German Coins in 2026: Two New Series and a Familiar Face

The Federal Ministry of Finance has published the coin programme for 2026. Collectors can look forward to a total of twelve coin issues covering a wide thematic spectrum.

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Royal Canadian Mint President Marie Lemay and artist Steven Rosati unveil the effigy of His Majesty King Charles III at the Mint’s facility in Winnipeg, Manitoba on November 14, 2023.

Royal Canadian Mint Unveils New Effigy of Charles III

The Royal Canadian Mint have unveiled the new effigy which will be seen on Canadian circulation, collector and bullion coinage. The new likeness was revealed on the 75th birthday of His Majesty. Michael Alexander takes a closer look.

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Leu Numismatik Sponsors the New Friedrich Imhoof-Blumer Fellowship in Winterthur

Leu Numismatik is supporting the new Friedrich Imhoof-Blumer Fellowship at the Coin Cabinet in Winterthur, which will be awarded for the first time in 2025. The fellowship, endowed with CHF 3,000, is aimed at early-career researchers working on a numismatic project. Application deadline: June 30, 2025.

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Martin Hirsch ist der neue Leiter der Staatlichen Münzsammlung München.

An Interview With Martin Hirsch

Martin Hirsch is the new Director of the Bavarian State Coin Collection. We talk with him about the exhibitions he has planned, the process of digitising the collection and why collecting is about much more than just ownership.

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Archive: Coins, Medals and more

The Gnadenpfennig – An Object Between Decoration, Medal, and Coin

Gnadenpfennigs are an extremely rare category of numismatic objects. Künker is proud to offer nine lots in auction 418 on 29 January 2025 that are, or are likely to be, gnadenpfennigs. We explain the purpose of these issues and when they were created.
Karl Ludwig von Bruck, the mastermind behind the Vienna Coinage Treaty. We chose not to depict Emperor Franz Josef I at this point, who is shown on the coins, but the liberal politician Karl Ludwig von Bruck. Born into the family of a bookbinder in Elberfeld (now Wuppertal, Germany), he worked his way up from a merchant’s position to become Austria’s finance minister. He could almost be described as a beacon of hope for Austrian economic policy. It was tragic – and not just for him personally – that Franz Josef “ungraciously” dismissed him in April 1860 on false suspicions. The then 61-year-old took his own life. This deprived Austria of an imaginative politician who might have prevented its economic marginalization by Prussia.

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.
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