Archive: People and Markets
How Not To Handle a Gold Transport
Nearly a million euros worth of gold coins were transported in a carrier van to a precious metals dealer without any security measures. No prizes for guessing whether or not they actually got there. A lawsuit in Bavaria reveals how this could happen.
Your Tax Dollars at Work
Is the State Department funding a crusade against private ownership of cultural goods in the U.S.? Peter Tompa explains how taxpayer money was used to justify cultural property Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) or “emergency import restrictions.”
Archive: Coins, Medals and more

Pattern of the First-Class Warrior Medal – A Previously Unknown Relic of German Colonial History
Leu’s first World Coins Floor Sale features a previously unknown pattern of a warrior merit medal for indigenous soldiers in German East Africa. This exceptional item provides rare insight into the early development of this obscure decoration.

Joachimsthal and the Reformation
On 29 January 2025, Künker will auction a series of valuable Renaissance medals. They feature biblical topics and were minted in the region of Joachimsthal to spread the teachings of the Reformation. Johannes Mathesius, the author of Luther’s Table Talk, may have been at the origin of some of the motifs.










National Coin Week: Spotlight on Numismatics
The American Numismatic Association (ANA) has been organising a national week of events in honour of numismatics since 1924. The ANA presents the entire spectrum of coin collecting with playful missions for children and specialist lectures from the world of science.
Legal Head of Italian Culture Ministry: “Fiendishly Extensive” Proofs Bar Imports
A significant statement on the importation of numismatic goods was issued in June 2023 by the legal department of the Italian Ministry of Culture. Read an analysis by Valentina Tarquini for Cultural Property News here.