Archive: People and Markets

Happy Birthday! The IADAA Turns 30

The International Association of Dealers in Ancient Art (IADAA) celebrates its 30th anniversary. James Ede, one of the founding fathers, remembers his personal experiences in the association and the antiquities trade.

Pop Culture & Coins Unite! The National Coin Week 2025

What do Homer Simpson, the Olympic games, Elvis Presley, and Superman have in common? They’ve all been featured, or will soon be featured, on coins. This year’s annual National Coin Week, April 20-26, 2025, explores the fascinating ways pop culture influences money.

Ollie Croker, Project Curator Recovery Programme, and Sara Aly. Art Market Expert Recovery Programme. Photo: British Museum.

Further Recoveries of British Museum Objects

The British Museum has announced the return of a further 268 missing objects, taking the total number of recovered items to 626. The museum also confirmed that it is currently working on new leads for around 100 additional objects.

Euro-Banknoten sind beliebt als Zahlungsmittel, aber wirklich identifizieren können sich die Europäer nicht damit. Bis 2026 will die EZB das ändern: mit neuen Geldscheinen. Bild: Mabel Amber via Pixabay.

Vote for the Theme of the New Euro Banknotes!

The ECB is developing a new series of Euro banknotes. As Europeans should identify with their currency, people are invited to express preferences on seven shortlisted themes in a public survey.

Archive: Coins, Medals and more

What Will Be Depicted on Croatia’s Euro Coins?

In 2023, Croatia will become the youngest member of the euro zone. The themes of Croatia’s euro coins have already been chosen – and one of them has stirred up controversy. Let’s find out how Croatia presents itself to Europe on its new coins.
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.
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