Archive: People and Markets

Trump’s Influence? United States Mint Removes Commemorative Medal from Store

The United States Mint has removed a commemorative medal honouring the police officers who defended the Capitol during the attack on 6 January 2021 from its website, sparking criticism.

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A Holey Dollar Returns to Toruń – An Update on the Torún Coin Theft

The Australian Federal Police have announced that they have helped return a Holey Dollar from the Toruń theft to the city’s regional museum. Here is the latest news on the theft of at least 194 coins, which is currently being tried in court.

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The design of the 2-euro coin commemorating the 35th anniversary of German reunification is causing debates. Artist of the coin's obverse: Thomas Serres (Hattingen), artist of the reverse: Luc Luycx (Belgium), photographer: Hans-Joachim Wuthenow (Berlin).

Two-Euro Ticker: New 2-Euro Coins in September 2024

The Federal Republic is once again stirring up the collector world with two surprising announcements. Additionally, San Marino, Slovakia, and Latvia are delighting collectors with new designs.

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The Palace of Westminster was built between 1840 and 1870 and is a popular photo opportunity every day.

Tiffany Art Metropolis – Palace of Westminster

CIT’s Tiffany issues are among the most coveted rarities on the collectors’ market. This is not only due to their innovative inlay but also to the high level of minting technology and the attention to detail. In 2023 it is London’s turn with the Palace of Westminster. The playful neo-Gothic architecture of the Victorian age is perfectly suited for such an elaborate design.

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Archive: Coins, Medals and more

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.
Franz Joseph und Sisi, gemalt von Franz Xaver Winterhalter. Davor Rückseite der Hochzeitsmedaille aus dem offiziellen Erinnerungs-Set, aus Auktion Künker 415 (28. Oktober 2024), Nr. 361.

Sisi and Franz: Commemorating the Dream Wedding that Was Actually a Nightmare

As part of the phaleristic auction 415 on 28 October 2024, Künker will be auctioning the set of gold medals that Emperor Franz Joseph presented to his father-in-law, Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria. It is the numismatic souvenir of a wedding that turned out to be a nightmare for his daughter – young Elisabeth, who is better known as Sissi or Sisi today.
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