Archive: People and Markets

Ollie Croker, Project Curator Recovery Programme, and Sara Aly. Art Market Expert Recovery Programme. Photo: British Museum.

Further Recoveries of British Museum Objects

The British Museum has announced the return of a further 268 missing objects, taking the total number of recovered items to 626. The museum also confirmed that it is currently working on new leads for around 100 additional objects.

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Ursula Kampmann: Die Briefe des Herrn von Schellenberg an Johann Jakob Rüeger. Ein entlarvendes Selbstzeugnis vom Niedergang eines gebildeten Reichsritters und Münzsammlers. Bd. I: Die Briefe. (Nomismata, 13.1), Habelt Verlag 2023. 576 S., 29 cm. ISBN 978-3-7749-4378-0. Preis: 89 €.

Collecting Coins Around 1600

In January 2024, the first volume of Ursula Kampmann’s three-part work on the letters of Hans von Schellenberg was published. The author presents one of the most insightful sources on collecting coins in the early modern period in its historical context.

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Ursula Kampmann at the International Conference on Islamic Numismatics.

International Conference on Islamic Numismatics

From 18 to 20 May 2023, the ICIN – the International Conference on Islamic Numismatics – took place in Riyadh, Saudi-Arabia. A complete success! Never before have so many specialists on Islamic numismatics gathered in one place. Ursula Kampmann was there.

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One of the coins seized during the police’s Operation Fantail. (Courtesy of Durham Constabulary.) Next to it, a passage from the biography of Alfred the Great written by Asser. The coin presents the prominent 9th-century ruler in a whole new light.

How Two Fraudsters Almost Changed England’s History

Two English metal detectorists attempted to sell off some illegally excavated coins. In a police operation straight out of a movie, the pair were caught and have now been sentenced. The seized coins present England’s King Alfred the Great in a totally different light.

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Archive: Coins, Medals and more

What Do Gaming Counters Have to Do with Numismatics?

On 5 July 2025, Künker will offer a complete set of trictrac pieces at its auction 425. The ensemble is of great cultural and historical value. This prompts us to ask why gaming counters are part of the numismatic field – and what insights they can offer into the numismatic daily life of the early modern period.

The Bending Willow Tree

On 29 January 2025, Künker is going to auction off a unique willow tree coin. The reverse of the 10-ducat piece depicts a willow tree in a storm. But what is the message that William V, the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel on whose behalf the coin was created, wanted to convey with this issue?
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