Archive: People and Markets

The Fascinating World of Insects and Minting Errors: The Misaligned Stag Beetle

A year ago, the paint on coins from the “Fascinating World of Insects” series began to flake off. Now, new anomalies have surfaced—ones that experts find only partially explainable.

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RPC Volumes V.2 and V.3 Now Available Online

The Roman Provincial Coinage project now published RPC volume V.2 and V.3 online. They cover all Roman provincial coinage issues from Pertinax to the death of Macrinus (AD 193-218) in all the Eastern provinces of the Roman Empire. This includes 11,000 type descriptions and over 45,000 coins from 317 cities!

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A reconstruction of what the gold necklace probably looked like. Illustration made by archaeologist Thea Eli Gil Bell. © Theo Eli Gil Bell, The Museum of Archaeology, University of Stavanger.

Baldrs Horse: Detectorist Makes “Find of the Century” in Norway

On the Norwegian island of Rennesøy, a metal detectorist recently made an extraordinary gold find that was buried long before the Viking Age. The nine coin-like gold pendants engraved with rare horse symbols discovered along with ten gold beads and three gold rings are the first find of this kind in Norway since the 19th century.

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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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Archive: Coins, Medals and more

Silver for Württemberg

In the early modern period, much of the Black Forest, an idyllic mountain range in southwestern Germany, was a booming industrial center. A major part of the silver used to mint Württemberg coins came from this region. The Heinz-Falk Gaiser Collection, on offer at Künker on 23 September 2024, includes many coins made from Black Forest silver.
Die Qual der Wahl: Welche Goldmünzen sind zu gut für die Schmelze? Foto: Wieschowski / „Iron melting furnace“ von „fotosuper“ von Getty Images via Canva Pro.

Gold at Record Highs: Melt Down or Preserve Historic Gold Coins?

Gold is now more expensive than ever. This trend has put many collectors and dealers in a moral dilemma: Which gold coins can be sold or melted down without hesitation, and where do the real treasures lie?
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