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?

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The Royal Library of Belgium (KBR). Image: EmDee via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0.

Putting Survival Ratios of Ancient Coinages Into Perspective – Call for Papers

The 7th International Numismatic Conference of the Coin Cabinet of the Royal Library of Belgium takes place on 5 October 2024 and will focus on survival ratios of ancient coinages. Proposals for submissions are expected by 1 December 2023.

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This 5-pound gold bar recovered from the famous Atocha shipwreck sunk in 1622 is up for auction on May 7 in Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC’s Treasure Auction 35. Painting in the background: „Atocha Meets Her Fate,” by Ralph Curnow (2009), from: Sedwick Treasure Auction #6 (2009), lot 1969.

Gold Bar from Famous Shipwreck Comes Under the Hammer

In 1622, the Nuestra Señora de Atocha sank off the coast of Key West along with all the treasures on board. Sedwick is now auctioning off one of the largest gold bars ever recovered.

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In 2022, Tokyo citizens handed in to police record ¥4 billon of lost cash. Image by David Mark from Pixabay.

Tokyo Sets New Record for Lost Cash Handed In

If you loose your cash let’s hope it happens in Tokyo. Then chances are good you get it back. Maybe in no other city in the world people hand in so much lost cash to police. There are good reasons why they do it.

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Archive: Coins, Medals and more

The courtyard of the Alcazár of Seville was immortalised on a 2024 2-euro coin from Spain. Photo: Real Casa de la Moneda (coin), javarman3 / Getty Images Pro via Canva Pro

The Secret of the Success of State Quarters, UNESCO Coins and Federal State Series

25 years ago, the United States of America started a new chapter in numismatic history. Their State Quarters became the model for many other successful coin programs – including Spain’s UNESCO World Heritage Site series.

From Taler to Mark: The Long Road to a Common Currency

As Germany gradually evolved into a nation-state in the 19th century, the many currencies that circulated in its territories were also unified step by step. Coins from the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in Künker’s auction 388 illustrate the long path from the taler to the mark.
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