Archive: People and Markets

Bernt Ahlström circa 1980. Photo: Family Archive.

Bernt Ahlström (1936-2019)

You will hardly find a dealer in the numismatic world who is completely unfamiliar with the name Bernt Ahlstrom. On the occasion of the sale of his numismatic library at Gut-Lynt, Arne Kirsch recounts the eventful life of the coin dealer and bon vivant.

Read more
Single-figure plaque, mid-sixteenth to seventeenth century, cast copper alloy, Dallas Museum of Art. Photo: Daderot via Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain.

Benin Bronzes Lawsuit Against Smithsonian

Shall all Benin bronzes be repatriated? The Restitution Study Group says no. They argue for the rights of descendants of slaves trafficked by the Benin Kingdom as you can learn from this interview by Kate Fitz Gibbon.

Read more

Introducing Nanoshine: CIT’s Butterfly

CIT’s Butterfly seems delicate, fragile and beautiful, just like its real-life model. The technical marvel behind it only becomes apparent at second glance. Nanoshine is a completely new technology with the potential to transform the aesthetics of coin design.

Read more
The obverse of the “Most excellent work” in ICDC 2022: “Good morning, Ukraine” by Nataliia Fandikova (Ukraine).

These Are The Winners of the International Coin Design Competition 2022

Japan Mint annually awards the best works received for the International Coin Design Competition. This year the war against Ukraine is topic of the most excellent work.

Read more

Archive: Coins, Medals and more

The Suffering of Leiden – A Siege During the Dutch Revolt

The third part of the Beuth Collection that Künker offers in Auction 420 contains many historically interesting emergency and siege coins. They were issued by the Dutch towns besieged by Spain during the 80 Years' War. One of these towns was Leiden, which to this day commemorates the end of the siege every year with a festival.
The fortress on the rock – not just a popular tourist destination, but also the most expensive 2 euro commemorative coin in the world. Collage: Canva / Wieschowski.

A Numismatic Journey Through the Principality of Monaco

On the visit of Albert II and Charlène of Monaco to Germany: The small country on the Mediterranean has more to offer than casinos, car races and film stars – it can look back on a long numismatic tradition.
Search Search