Archive: People and Markets

Federal agents, National Hellenic Museum conduct largest repatriation of ancient coins to Greece in recent HSI history. Photo: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Customs Repatriation to Greece Raises Questions

U.S. Customs recently confiscated fifty-one ancient coins and repatriated them to the Greek Government. But was this act really covered by the MOU with Greece? Peter Tompa gives coin collectors some advises.

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Double Beginner’s Luck: Man Wins Metal Detector and Finds Hundreds of Coins

A Dorset man was lucky enough to experience two windfalls this spring. First he won an expensive metal detector in a prize draw, then – just a short time later – he made a valuable find with it.

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Coin of the Year: Surprising Picks and Standout Themes from the Oscars of Numismatics

Every year, collectors around the world eagerly await the nominations for the Coin of the Year (COTY) Award, which honors the most outstanding coin issues from across the globe.

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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

Carl Theodor in Bavaria: The Old Nobility Takes Up a New Role

In the context of Künker’s phaleristic sale at the end of October, the Osnabrück auction house will present orders from the estate of Carl Theodor Duke in Bavaria. Carl Theodor is one of the most interesting figures of Bavarian history. In contrast to his famous sister Sisi, he managed to live a fulfilled and self-determined life – as an eye specialist.
Third time’s the charm? After 2015 and 2019, Germany is once again issuing a coin commemorating German Unity. Photos: Wieschowski / Background: frankpeters from Getty Images via Canva Pro

Unity Coin Sows Discord: More Than Just a Matter of Taste?

The fall of the Berlin Wall and reunification are considered, despite occasional tensions between East and West, as a defining moment in German history, a cause for celebration for many Germans – but not, it seems, within certain corners of the German coin collecting community.
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