Archive: People and Markets

Those are the people honored by being portrayed on the new Japanese banknotes.

These Are Japan’s New Banknotes

In April 2023, the Bank of Japan has presented the first specimens of the new banknotes, which will enter circulation in 2024. The 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 yen denominations will feature new motifs and new security features.

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Tatort 1 und 2: Das Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst in Köln und das Römer- und Pelizaeus- Museum in Hildesheim: Fotos: Raimond Spekking / CC BY-SA 4.0 und Longbow4u / CC0, via WikiCommons.

German Museums Continue to be Hit by Wave of Burglaries

With no end in sight, German museums are still regularly targeted by burglars. Often, the general public is unaware of the break-ins as the cases only make headlines in local newspapers. What can museums do to deal with these crimes? We present two cases from autumn 2023.

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Swissmint's latest collector coin is dedicated to Wind power. Background: Appolinary Kalashnikova via Unplash.

Swissmint Commemorates Wind Power

Following the issues on hydropower and solar energy, Swissmint completes its trilogy “Energy of the Future” with the new commemorative coin “Wind power.” As with its two predecessors, the silver coin glows in the dark.

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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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Archive: Coins, Medals and more

Some of the protagonists of the 30 Years' War depicted on coins. Coin photos: Künker (see further illustrations of the article). Background: copper engraving of the second battle of Breitenfeld on October 23, 1642, detail.

The Protagonists of the Thirty Years’ War: A Slightly Different Preview of Künker’s Auction 410

On 23 September 2024 Künker will auction off a breathtaking collection including many multiple gold coins, multiple talers and rare medals relating to the Thirty Years’ War. We present the most beautiful pieces, and explain why the men depicted on these issues took part in the Thirty Years’ War.
Only 138 out of the planned 1,000 pieces were minted. This makes the Lion Dance a highly contested collector’s coin!

100 Yuan Lion Dance 1995: One of the Rarest Chinese Coins of Our Age

From 13 to 15 May 2024, Heidelberger Münzhandlung will hold its 88th auction sale. Among the highlights are some of the rarest contemporary issues from China, including the 100-yuan Lion Dance coin of 1995. 1,000 specimens should have been minted – but in the end, only 138 were produced.
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