Archive: People and Markets

The British Museum suffered what was probably the largest theft in its history and a scandal that shook the institution to its core. Photo: hurk / Pixabay.

Red Alert at the British Museum

Thousands of objects have disappeared from the British Museum – allegedly stolen by a senior curator. The matter was uncovered by an antiquities dealer, whose warnings fell on deaf ears. The museum’s director has stepped down, and this seems to be merely the tip of the iceberg.

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Acquisition of a Highly Significant Ensemble for the Coin Cabinet in Vienna

The Kunsthistorisches Museum has acquired 22 coins of the imperial couple Regalianus and Dryantilla and made them digitally accessible. This is all the more impressive considering that only about 160 coins of this imperial couple are known worldwide. These are the only Roman coins that were minted in what is now Austria.

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Single-figure plaque, mid-sixteenth to seventeenth century, cast copper alloy, Dallas Museum of Art. Photo: Daderot via Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain.

Benin Bronzes Lawsuit Against Smithsonian

Shall all Benin bronzes be repatriated? The Restitution Study Group says no. They argue for the rights of descendants of slaves trafficked by the Benin Kingdom as you can learn from this interview by Kate Fitz Gibbon.

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New Museum Management in Monaco: A Year Full of Surprises for Euro Collectors?

At first glance, it is “only” a piece of news on a new museum director – but the change at the top of the “Musée des Timbres et des Monnaies de Monaco” could herald a new era in the coin issuance policy of the Principality, which could spark discussions among collectors.

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Archive: Coins, Medals and more

On 29 October 1888, the Russian imperial train derailed near the village of Borki. 23 people lost their lives. The tsar’s family survived. A medal commemorates the event. It will be offered by the Künker auction house on 1 February 2024.

The Borki Train Disaster

On 29 October 1888, the Russian imperial train derailed near the village of Borki. 23 people lost their lives. The tsar’s family survived. A medal commemorates the event. It will be offered by the Künker auction house on 1 February 2024.

Silver for Württemberg

In the early modern period, much of the Black Forest, an idyllic mountain range in southwestern Germany, was a booming industrial center. A major part of the silver used to mint Württemberg coins came from this region. The Heinz-Falk Gaiser Collection, on offer at Künker on 23 September 2024, includes many coins made from Black Forest silver.
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