Archive: People and Markets

Hacksilber, Persian and Early Hellenistic Coinage from the Jeselsohn Collection

Haim Gitler, David Jeselsohn, Mati Johananoff and Oren Tal present the first volume of a series about the Jeselsohn Collection of Coins of the Holy Land, which is probably the most important collection of coins of the southern Levant. This volume covers Hacksilber, Persian and Early Hellenistic coinage.

CIT’s Lily Pad – Dragonfly

A dragonfly on a lily pad: CIT and B. H. Mayer use state-of-the-art minting technology to capture nature’s beauty in an awe-inspiring way.

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.

Berkshire Coin Hoard. © The Trustees of the British Museum.

2022 Biggest Year for Treasure Finds in the UK

Earlier this year, the British Museum launched the latest Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) Annual Report. This showed that in 2022, over 50,000 archaeological finds were recorded, including 1,378 Treasure cases – the highest ever reported in a single year. See some of the highlights here.

Archive: Coins, Medals and more

Royal Gold: England’s Five Guineas and the English Gold Currency

On 10 December 2024, Numismatica Genevensis will offer the most complete run of English Five Guineas ever sold at auction. The pieces are considered to be the most beautiful and the heaviest English circulation issues in gold. They were struck from 1668 to 1777, during the period when England replaced its bimetallism with the gold currency. Read on to find out more.

Record! South African Rarity Leaves All Previous Top Prices Far Behind

Recently, a South African coin was auctioned at Heritage for $1.8 million (excluding premium) – exceeding the previously highest known auction results for South African coins by a remarkable $1.5 million. What makes the “Single 9” such a rarity?
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