Archive: People and Markets

How the Romans Made Counterfeits

Counterfeits have been around in ancient Roman times, too – usually, they were cast from a copper-tin alloy. Researchers at the University of Tübingen examined the counterfeiting process and reconstructed it experimentally. A video documents their experiment.

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Theft at the Stockholm Royal Coin Cabinet

An audit at the Royal Coin Cabinet in Stockholm showed that a transferred 2.6 million euros worth of objects are missing. Now a former employee has to answer for theft.

Numista Now Has a New Literature Section

Numista has recently expanded its offerings with a dedicated section for numismatic literature, providing a valuable resource for researchers and enthusiasts alike. A particularly innovative feature of this section is its integration with Numista’s existing coin catalogue, which allows users to seamlessly navigate from a reference number of a coin to the corresponding literary reference, and from that catalogue back to the numismatic objects listed within.

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Photo: Thüringer Staatskanzlei / Jacob Schröter.

Wolfgang Steguweit Receives the Federal Cross of Merit

The renowned numismatist Wolfgang Steguweit has been awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. The German President has thus honoured Steguweit’s cultural achievements – and not only in the field of numismatics.

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Archive: Coins, Medals and more

Lot 1399: Clement X. Medal for the Holy Year of 1675 by Giovanni Martino Hamerani. Background: Edyttka1388 via Pixabay.

Coins and Medals of the Popes: Representatives of the Catholic Church

Since the 16th century, people throughout Europe have collected coins and medals of the popes. Papal issues were often intended to be collectibles rather than a means of payment. Künker presents a little introduction to this fascinating subject.
Sotheby’s, The One (2nd February 2024), lot 8: The 2nd May 1840 Penny Black Cover. Estimate: $1,500,000 – $2,500,000.

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.
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