Archive: People and Markets

A reconstruction of what the gold necklace probably looked like. Illustration made by archaeologist Thea Eli Gil Bell. © Theo Eli Gil Bell, The Museum of Archaeology, University of Stavanger.

Baldrs Horse: Detectorist Makes “Find of the Century” in Norway

On the Norwegian island of Rennesøy, a metal detectorist recently made an extraordinary gold find that was buried long before the Viking Age. The nine coin-like gold pendants engraved with rare horse symbols discovered along with ten gold beads and three gold rings are the first find of this kind in Norway since the 19th century.

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Possible Motifs Selected for Future Euro Banknotes

The Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) has agreed on potential motifs for future Euro banknotes.

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The Royal Coin Cabinet in Stockholm is going to be closed and stripped down

The Swedish national museum of economy is going to be closed down. This entails the relocation of the Royal Coin Cabinet and its notable library. At this point, no one knows where, when or how the coins and books will be available again. Harald Nilsson reports.

The Mint of Finland is Dead, Long Live the Helsinki Mint

September brought bad news for the numismatic world: the Mint of Finland, once a prolific producer of circulation coins for numerous euro countries, announced it would cease operations. Many questions have since remained unanswered – but one key point is now clear: the future of Finnish coin production has been decided.

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Archive: Coins, Medals and more

Contemporary allegory on the Great Elector Frederick William of Brandenburg.

The Great Elector, Taxes and the Rise of Prussia

On 1 February 2024, the Künker auction house will hold its 400th auction sale. Among the 770 lots are very rare issues from the reign of Frederick William of Brandenburg-Prussia. They bear witness to the achievements of the Great Elector, who brought prosperity to a realm devastated by the Thirty Years’ War.

The Suffering of Leiden – A Siege During the Dutch Revolt

The third part of the Beuth Collection that Künker offers in Auction 420 contains many historically interesting emergency and siege coins. They were issued by the Dutch towns besieged by Spain during the 80 Years' War. One of these towns was Leiden, which to this day commemorates the end of the siege every year with a festival.
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