Archive: People and Markets

Das Objekt der Begierde: Die 2-Euro-Gedenkmünze zum 500. Jahrestag des Vertrages von Burgos. Foto: Musee des Timbres et des Monnaies.

A Coveted 2-Euro Coin: Monaco Introduces Penalty Fee for Multiple Orders

The Principality’s commemorative coins are among the most expensive and sought-after collectibles in the eurozone – but they have also attracted speculators for years. The sales office is now taking drastic measures.

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The National Archaeological Museum of Athens would be affected by the planned change in law. Alongside other major museums, it is to become more autonomous but, in turn, will be largely on its own when it comes to its finances. The bill of the Minister of Culture and archaeologist Lina Mendoni is being hotly debated. Photo: Erik Drost / CC BY 2.0

Greek Museums Between Commercialisation and Modernisation

Five of Greece’s most important museums are to become more autonomous and operate independently of state funding. A bill of the Greek government to this effect has been hotly debated and led to strikes.

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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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Friedrich Popken (*16 February 1940 in Hameln, †27 July 2024 in Rastede) was awardee of the Lower Saxony Order of Merit.

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.

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Archive: Coins, Medals and more

Münster, Osnabrück, Passau and the Counts of Lamberg

Münster, Osnabrück and Passau: How are these places related to the Counts of Lamberg? We use coins from Künker’s auction 424 to illustrate how noble families in the Holy Roman Empire climbed the social ladder in early modern times, and explain the reasons for and the consequences of such ascents.

Carl Theodor in Bavaria: The Old Nobility Takes Up a New Role

In the context of Künker’s phaleristic sale at the end of October, the Osnabrück auction house will present orders from the estate of Carl Theodor Duke in Bavaria. Carl Theodor is one of the most interesting figures of Bavarian history. In contrast to his famous sister Sisi, he managed to live a fulfilled and self-determined life – as an eye specialist.
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