Archive: People and Markets

Late antique bronze fragments are often interpreted as scrap or recycled material. Image: Universität Bonn.

Conference Report: Coining Values: Bronze between Money and Scrap

A conference in Bonn recently dealt with archaeological bronze finds on the outer borders of the Roman Empire. There is a lack of clarity as to how exactly they are to be understood: were the bronze pieces stashes of value or just waste metal rendered useless? Claire Franklin Werz reports.

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Joachim Stollhoff (18.7.1948-2.11.2024)

Claire Franklin-Werz also wrote an extensive obituary for her long-time friend and mentor Joachim Stollhoff.

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“Rich Man, Poor Man: Art, Class, and Commerce in a Late Medieval Town”. Photo by Bruce Schwarz Courtesy of The Met.

Rich and Poor in Early Tudor England

The Met Cloisters takes you into a merchant’s house in 16th-century England. Why did a rich man exhibit images of the poor? Intriguing objects tell us about tastes and self-expression. And you can expect coins to be there too!

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CIT’s new Smartminting® 4.0: Iron Knight

With Iron Knight, CIT has taken the ultra-high relief to the next level: thanks to smartminting® 4.0, an unprecedented relief of 9 mm can now be achieved. This is 50% more than what was possible with the prior version of smartminting®.

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Archive: Coins, Medals and more

Fascinating Change: The 50 State Quarters of the USA – a Milestone

By means of the 50 State Quarters, the US Mint succeeded in rekindling the people’s love of coins and bringing it to the next generation. What was so special about this series? Let’s look back.
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.
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