Archive: People and Markets
Friedrich Popken (1940-2024)
On 27 July 2024, Friedrich Popken passed away at the age of 84. As well as being a well-known entrepreneur, he was also a highly esteemed coin collector who supported and promoted many numismatic projects. An obituary by Fritz Rudolf Künker.
Increasing Prices for German Coin Sets: Is This The End of Proof Coin Collecting?
Official coin sets – for many coin collectors, these issues are an essential part of a complete collection. The number of produced sets, however, has been diminishing significantly for years, and a huge price adjustment could now deter collectors even further.
Archive: Coins, Medals and more

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.

Pattern of the First-Class Warrior Medal – A Previously Unknown Relic of German Colonial History
Leu’s first World Coins Floor Sale features a previously unknown pattern of a warrior merit medal for indigenous soldiers in German East Africa. This exceptional item provides rare insight into the early development of this obscure decoration.










CIT’s new Smartminting® 4.0: Iron Knight
With Iron Knight, CIT has taken the ultra-high relief to the next level: thanks to smartminting® 4.0, an unprecedented relief of 9 mm can now be achieved. This is 50% more than what was possible with the prior version of smartminting®.
2-Euro Ticker: New 2-Euro Coins in April 2025
There were no official issue dates for 2-euro coins in April, but one topic is currently occupying 2-euro coin collectors in particular: the new issuance policy of Finland.