Archive: People and Markets

Taya Pobjoy, Im Hintergrund des Fotos Trophäen der vielen Erfolge der Münzstätte, beispielsweise die COTY-Auszeichnungen. Foto: Michael Alexander, London Banknote and Monetary Research Centre.

The End of Pobjoy Mint: An Interview with Taya Pobjoy

On 31 December 2023, Pobjoy Mint discontinued their operations. This marked the end of an era. In this interview, Taya Pobjoy explains why she decided to close down the mint and why she did not want to sell the company including her brand.

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12th Kuala Lumpur International Numismatic Fair

Over 60 exhibiting companies will attend the Kuala Lumpur International Numismatic Fair, which will take place from March 29th to March 31st, 2024. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or a budding enthusiast, this event offers an opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of rare and valuable treasures.

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Kurz vor der Eröffnung warteten bereits zahlreiche Sammler, Händler und Interessierte. Foto: Sebastian Wieschowski.

A Visit to the MIF International Money Fair

Not too long ago, the MIF International Money Fair was a banknote collector’s best kept secret. Today this banknote fair is a compulsory event on the calendar for dealers and collectors alike! Sebastian Wieschowski was there as Maastricht once again claims the title as the world’s Banknote trading capital – thanks to the MIF.

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United States Department of State, Washington. Image: AgnosticPreachersKid via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0.

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.”

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Archive: Coins, Medals and more

Euro coins from Croatia. Photo: Angela Graff

The First Error Coins from Croatia

Croatian euro coins are still quite new: the popular tourist destination introduced the currency as recently as in January 2023. By now, the first Croatian coins have long found their way into Central European wallets – and there are also some error coins among them!
Karl Ludwig von Bruck, the mastermind behind the Vienna Coinage Treaty. We chose not to depict Emperor Franz Josef I at this point, who is shown on the coins, but the liberal politician Karl Ludwig von Bruck. Born into the family of a bookbinder in Elberfeld (now Wuppertal, Germany), he worked his way up from a merchant’s position to become Austria’s finance minister. He could almost be described as a beacon of hope for Austrian economic policy. It was tragic – and not just for him personally – that Franz Josef “ungraciously” dismissed him in April 1860 on false suspicions. The then 61-year-old took his own life. This deprived Austria of an imaginative politician who might have prevented its economic marginalization by Prussia.

A War Fought with Unusual Weapons: How Prussia Used Finance and Politics to Force the Habsburg Hereditary Lands Out of the German Confederation

On 26 March 2024, the Künker auction house will offer the Tursky Collection with coins of Emperor Franz Joseph I. We use specimens from this collection to tell the story of how Prussia used its economic sway to become the sole hegemonic power in Germany.
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