Archive: People and Markets
End of “Cash Only”? Germany Plans Right to Digital Payment
Cash will remain important in Germany – but digital payment options are set to become mandatory. Germany’s federal government is working on new regulations. Are they truly intended to offer consumers more convenience – or are they also about gaining more control over payment flows?
A Force of Nature Embodied in a Coin: CIT’s Lost City – Pompeii
CIT has captured the dramatic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the year 79 with a three-dimensional representation. True to scale, and thanks to smartminting® in every detail, we see erupting Vesuvius, pouring its lava over the buildings of the city of Pompeii.
Archive: Coins, Medals and more

Queen Anne: Great Britain on Its Way to Becoming a Global Power
On 26 May 2025, SINCONA will auction off part 6 of the British Collection presenting the medals of this ensemble. In this article, we will show you some of the treasures among the lots and explore the story of Queen Anne. Under her rule, Great Britain became the most important trading power in Europe.

The First Error Coins from Croatia
Croatian euro coins are still quite new: the popular tourist destination introduced the currency as recently as in January 2023. By now, the first Croatian coins have long found their way into Central European wallets – and there are also some error coins among them!










Now available: Our CoinsWeekly Special Issue for the World Money Fair 2025
We usually publish our printed CoinsWeekly Special for the World Money Fair in German, as it is tailored to all the German visitors. This year, however, we decided to also offer an English version of the issue as a download for our international readers. We hope you enjoy reading it!
Will Germany Abolish the 1 and 2 Cent Coins?
We Germans still like to pay with cash, but like in many other countries, the 1 and 2 cent coins are unpopular. The important National Cash Forum has now spoken out in favor of their de facto abolition. Read here how cash transactions would change in practice.