Archive: People and Markets

2024 Huntington Award Presented to William E. Metcalf

At the 167th Annual Meeting of the American Numismatic Society, the Archer M. Huntington Award was presented to Dr. William E. Metcalf, honoring his tremendous contributions to Roman and Byzantine numismatics.

Trsat Dragon: A Field Marshal, His Tomb and a Legend

Visitors to the beautiful city of Rijeka are familiar with the two basilisks that stand guard on the Trsat hill in front of Count Laval Nugent of Westmeath’s mausoleum. The Croatian Mint dedicates a gold and a silver commemorative coin to these mythical creatures.

Unrealistic or soon to be found in European cash? This is an AI-generated image of a 2-euro commemorative coin on the subject of “defence”. Picture created with Image Generator Pro / ChatGPT

A Military Motif in Circulation – Or: How Political Should 2-Euro Coins Be?

Lithuania is planning to design a 2-euro commemorative coin for defense “against foreign armed forces”. Critics fear a numismatic mobilization – and are eagerly awaiting a possible veto from other euro countries. But have there ever been comparable cases?

Spectacular Coin Hoard Discovered in the Province of Utrecht

A hoard of 404 coins has been unearthed in the province of Utrecht. It is probably the first find on the European mainland to include both Roman and British Celtic coins. The coin find underlines the importance of the Lower Germanic Limes for the Roman invasions of Britain.

Archive: Coins, Medals and more

Courageous Girls in the Coin Wonderland

Gabriele Sturm illustrates how courageous heroines from children’s and young adult literature are depicted on modern coins.
Napoleon III, painting by Alexandre Cabanel, around 1865. It was the favourite portrait of Empress Eugénie because it was the most accurate depiction of him.

French History in Coins – Part 3: A New Napoleon

Under Emperor Napoleon III, France experienced an economic upswing. The Paris cityscape was completely revamped, just as coin designs. The gold rush in the US thrust Europe’s silver money into a crisis. The answer came from France.
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