Archive: People and Markets

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.

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How the Romans Made Counterfeits

Counterfeits have been around in ancient Roman times, too – usually, they were cast from a copper-tin alloy. Researchers at the University of Tübingen examined the counterfeiting process and reconstructed it experimentally. A video documents their experiment.

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Curaçao is getting a new currency – and with it, new coins. Photo: LPETTET via Getty Images.

A New Era for the Caribbean: The Caribbean Guilder is Coming

In March 2025, a new currency will be introduced – the Caribbean Guilder. Collectors can look forward to intricately designed coins and banknotes that highlight the cultural and maritime identity of the islands of Curaçao and Sint Maarten.

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At the February 1, 2022, Paris conference: Vincent Noce, far left, Henrik Hanstein, President of the Federation of European Auctioneers (back shown), Alexandre Giquello, President of the Drouot, Professor Marc-André Renold, Christie’s CEO Guillaume Cerruti, IADAA Chairman Vincent Geerling (with microphone) and far right with his back to the camera, Roberto Riccardi, Head of Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage.

Defamatory Attack on IADAA And Its Officers – a Response

A French newspaper article claims IADAA chairman Vincent Geerling to be involved in trafficking antiquities. A close look reveals a distortion of facts – or how the journalist and the authorities simply ignored them. With consequences not only for the accused.

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Archive: Coins, Medals and more

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.

Switzerland’s Special Coin 200 Years Swiss Shooting Sport Federation Hits the Bull’s Eye

What do you think of when you hear “Switzerland” and “shooting”? Do you think of shooting talers, William Tell, and/or the Swiss Federal Shooting Competition? Vito Noto told Ursula Kampmann what came to mind when he created the design for the newest Swissmint coin.
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