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

The Titlis air cable car follows the Klein Matterhorn air cable car.

The Second Issue on Swiss Cable Cars: The Titlis Cable Car

Attention cable car enthusiasts: Swissmint is launching the second issue in its series on Swiss cable cars. The subject of the third and final coin in the series has also already been announced.

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The New and Advanced Coin Yearbook 2025

The new 2025 edition of the Coin Yearbook is fully revised and updated. It features accurate up-to-the-minute pricing of English, Scottish, Irish and Isle of Man coins and many more features.

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Two Robberies in Two Days – French Museums Targeted by Criminals

Last week, two museums in France were robbed. The museums were helpless in the face of the criminals’ ruthless brutality. Is it even possible to protect our cultural heritage in this day and age?

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The National Archaeological Museum of Athens would be affected by the planned change in law. Alongside other major museums, it is to become more autonomous but, in turn, will be largely on its own when it comes to its finances. The bill of the Minister of Culture and archaeologist Lina Mendoni is being hotly debated. Photo: Erik Drost / CC BY 2.0

Greek Museums Between Commercialisation and Modernisation

Five of Greece’s most important museums are to become more autonomous and operate independently of state funding. A bill of the Greek government to this effect has been hotly debated and led to strikes.

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Archive: Coins, Medals and more

VOC: The Other Side of the Dutch Golden Age

VOC coins tell the story of the Netherlands’ colonial past. The States General granted the VOC all the rights of an independent state: it could declare war, make treaties and issue its own currency. Join us on a trip to Indonesia, the place where the spices grew that financed the Dutch Golden Age.
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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