Archive: People and Markets

Die Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (in der Mitte) ist das höchste Gebäude in Harare. Foto: Baynham Goredema aus Johannesburg, Südafrika / CC BY 2.0

Zimbabwe’s New Currency: Is the ZiG Doomed to Fail From the Start?

Zimbabwe has introduced a new currency that is supposed to win the trust of Zimbabweans as it is backed by gold. Michael Alexander explains the background and presents the new banknotes.

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Late antique bronze fragments are often interpreted as scrap or recycled material. Image: Universität Bonn.

Conference Report: Coining Values: Bronze between Money and Scrap

A conference in Bonn recently dealt with archaeological bronze finds on the outer borders of the Roman Empire. There is a lack of clarity as to how exactly they are to be understood: were the bronze pieces stashes of value or just waste metal rendered useless? Claire Franklin Werz reports.

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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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Numisstaxx offers various models for collectors, dealers and mints.

Numisstaxx: The Launch of a New Innovative Platform

The new platform Numisstaxx aims to allow its users to easily digitalize and share coins and create certificates of authenticity in a forgery-proof environment.

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Archive: Coins, Medals and more

Gustav III: A Conservative Revolutionary

On 20 June 2023, Künker will auction off medals that the Swedish King Gustav III himself gave as a present to the young Peter Frederick Augustus of Oldenburg. These medals are a testament to the policies of the king who was shot dead at a masked ball in 1792.
Siege plan of the city of Frankfurt based on the original by Conrad Faber von Creuznach, 1552.

Two Cityscapes on Coins From Frankfurt am Main and The Artwork That Inspired Them

Many engravers used contemporary media to make their work easier. Their coin designs were often based on well-known engravings. This is illustrated by two pieces from the Loos Collection, which will be auctioned by Künker in September 2023.
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