Archive: People and Markets
Frédérique Duyrat Joins Ashmolean Museum
Frédérique Duyrat will be the new Director of Collections and Keeper of the Heberden Coin Room in Oxford. Duyrat is currently Director of the Department of Coins, Medals and Antiques at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris.
When Is a Currency Launch – Not a Currency Launch?
Nowadays, it is frighteningly easy to send misinformation around the world in a matter of seconds. Michael Alexander from the London Banknote and Monetary Research Centre uses a recent example to show that important subjects such as currency unions, or even money in general, can also be affected by this.
Archive: Coins, Medals and more

The Wedding of a Century in Saxony
In the days of absolutism, a feast was not simply a gathering of friends and family. It was a political means of propagating one’s status. That is exactly what Augustus the Strong did in 1719. His son’s wedding was nothing but a welcome occasion.

Münster, Osnabrück, Passau and the Counts of Lamberg
Münster, Osnabrück and Passau: How are these places related to the Counts of Lamberg? We use coins from Künker’s auction 424 to illustrate how noble families in the Holy Roman Empire climbed the social ladder in early modern times, and explain the reasons for and the consequences of such ascents.










From a Collector’s Market to an Investor’s Market: Reasons, Consequences, Opportunities, Part 2
Today we continue Ursula Kampmann’s analysis of the change from collector to investor market with the second part. Find out how the market for American coins became a perfect investor’s market.
Famous Dacian Helmet Stolen – Thieves Blasted Their Way Into the Museum
On the night of 24 to 25 January, a museum in Assen, Netherlands, was targeted by thieves. They stole four important Dacian gold objects from a temporary exhibition – including the famous Coțofenești helmet. Do we have to worry about it being melted down as well?