Archive: People and Markets

Giant’s Causeway: A Natural Wonder at Risk – Because of Coins?

One of Britain’s most iconic natural landmarks is under threat – because tourists are decorating the famous basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway with coins. What may seem like a well-meaning gesture is now causing increasing damage to the geologically unique rock formation.

Read more

Ukraine Plans to Rename Small Coins: ‘Kopiyka’ to Become ‘Shah’

Ukraine is taking another step to distinguish itself from Russia by planning to rename its small coins. According to a statement from the National Bank in Kyiv, the term “Kopiyka” will be replaced with “Shah” in the future.

Read more

The Second Sofia Numismatic School

Students who wish to deepen their knowledge of ancient numismatics can now apply for the Sofia Numismatic School. It will take place in September 2025 at the Archaeological Research Base of the Roman Colony of Deultum (near Burgas).

Read more
More than 2 million dimes were stolen while being transported from the US Mint in Philadelphia to Miami. Photo: BrayLockBoy / CC BY-SA 4.0.

The Great Philly Pocket Change Heist

In the US, four men are standing trial as they allegedly stole coins worth 234,500 dollars from a truck. That was a ton of work. since their loot consisted of more than 2 million dimes, which were difficult to transport and even harder to spend…

Read more

Archive: Coins, Medals and more

The Turks, the Bohemian Estates and Two Gnadenpfennigs by Ferdinand I

SINCONA’s spring auction will be held from 13 to 15 May 2024. Among other highlights, two extremely rare gold gnadenpfennigs by Ferdinand I are on offer. The multiple coins with a weight of 10 and 15 gold gulden are among the great treasures of Habsburg numismatics. We share their story.
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.
Search Search