Archive: People and Markets

The Zurich International Coin Fair 2023

For many decades, the coin fair in Zurich has been the most important meeting point for the Swiss numismatic scene. In 2023, it was particularly crowded, as Swissmint had planned a special sale that drew many interested people.

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Decline in demand: The high gold price means that only a few investors are buying physical gold coins. Collage: Canva.

Gold at Record High, Demand for Bullion Coins Collapses

While the gold price has reached new all-time highs several sessions in recent weeks and gained around 20 per cent in value in a short period of time in a steep upward trend, several mints are reporting a drastic decline in sales in the precious metal sector.

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Kurz vor der Eröffnung warteten bereits zahlreiche Sammler, Händler und Interessierte. Foto: Sebastian Wieschowski.

A Visit to the MIF International Money Fair

Not too long ago, the MIF International Money Fair was a banknote collector’s best kept secret. Today this banknote fair is a compulsory event on the calendar for dealers and collectors alike! Sebastian Wieschowski was there as Maastricht once again claims the title as the world’s Banknote trading capital – thanks to the MIF.

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100-Euro Gold Coins: Loyal Customers of Münze Deutschland Make a Bargain

Buying gold below the market price? Under normal circumstances, that’s not possible – the only exception is placing an order with the German Mint before the gold price skyrockets. As in previous years, customers of the official sales office can look forward to a substantial return.

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Archive: Coins, Medals and more

Karl Ludwig von Bruck, the mastermind behind the Vienna Coinage Treaty. We chose not to depict Emperor Franz Josef I at this point, who is shown on the coins, but the liberal politician Karl Ludwig von Bruck. Born into the family of a bookbinder in Elberfeld (now Wuppertal, Germany), he worked his way up from a merchant’s position to become Austria’s finance minister. He could almost be described as a beacon of hope for Austrian economic policy. It was tragic – and not just for him personally – that Franz Josef “ungraciously” dismissed him in April 1860 on false suspicions. The then 61-year-old took his own life. This deprived Austria of an imaginative politician who might have prevented its economic marginalization by Prussia.

A War Fought with Unusual Weapons: How Prussia Used Finance and Politics to Force the Habsburg Hereditary Lands Out of the German Confederation

On 26 March 2024, the Künker auction house will offer the Tursky Collection with coins of Emperor Franz Joseph I. We use specimens from this collection to tell the story of how Prussia used its economic sway to become the sole hegemonic power in Germany.

The Birth of the Krugerrand

The South African Krugerrand is the world’s oldest bullion coin. When it was first minted in 1967, the concept of producing a coin that matched the weight of an investment unit – one ounce – was both new and innovative. Learn more about the economic background and the meaning of its design here.
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