Archive: People and Markets

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.

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Dunkle Wolken über dem British Museum? Eine solche Belagerungsklippe aus Newark wurde bei einer Hands-On Führung gegen eine Replik ausgetauscht. Das hier abgebildete Exemplar liegt im Münzkabinett Berlin und ist von 1646. Objektnummer 18268995, Aufnahme durch Christian Stoess. Hintergrund: hulkiokantabak via Pixabay.

The British Museum: When Theft Becomes PR

Once again, the BM made negative headlines: Ilé Sartuzi stole a coin unnoticed during a hands-on tour and declared this an artistic performance. A commentary by Ursula Kampmann.

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Pop-Up Expo at the Royal Library of Belgium: The Past in Metal

The Department of Coins & Medals at the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR) invites you on a journey through Belgium’s history via coins – from the ancient Eburones to emergency money from the Eighty Years’ War and objects used as currency in colonial Congo.

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You can find Achaemenid and Hellenistic period coin types from the southern Levant in LCO. Image: ANS.

Levantine Coins Online (LCO) Now Live

A new digital database is now available online: “Levantine Coins Online” catalogs Achaemenid and Hellenistic period coin typologies from the southern Levant. The database will be continuously expanded with new areas and collections.

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Archive: Coins, Medals and more

Only 138 out of the planned 1,000 pieces were minted. This makes the Lion Dance a highly contested collector’s coin!

100 Yuan Lion Dance 1995: One of the Rarest Chinese Coins of Our Age

From 13 to 15 May 2024, Heidelberger Münzhandlung will hold its 88th auction sale. Among the highlights are some of the rarest contemporary issues from China, including the 100-yuan Lion Dance coin of 1995. 1,000 specimens should have been minted – but in the end, only 138 were produced.

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.
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