Archive: People and Markets

The Cape Mint: The Oldest Private Mint in South Africa

Did you think the South African Mint was the only mint in South Africa? That’s not true. In the heart of Cape Town, a small private mint fulfills all customer needs. I was privileged to visit the Cape Mint and met people there who take great pride in their work.

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Collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, Partial Gift of Harry S. Hutchins, Jr. DDS, Col. (Ret.) and his Family, dedicated to the individuals these Slave Hire Badges represent and their descendants.

Smithsonian Acquires Largest Collection of Charleston Slave Badges

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture recently acquired what is thought to be the largest and most complete set of Charleston Slave Badges. A new website informs about the historical significance of these badges.

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Können Sie sich vorstellen, wie eine ganze Million Münzen aussieht? Foto: vetkit via Shutterstock.)

What to Do With a Million Pennies?

Imagine you are cleaning out the house of a late relative and find 1 million cent coins in the process. What would you do with them? This is what happened to a California family. Why had this huge amount of coins been amassed? And what could they be worth?

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Hideo Futahashi (†2024)

We have only now learned that Hideo Futahashi has passed away. Mr. Futahashi was a key figure for Europeans looking to gain a foothold in the Japanese coin market. He was one of those open-minded Japanese who loved introducing European coin enthusiasts to the beauty of his country.

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Archive: Coins, Medals and more

Clémentine d’Orléans: Extraordinary Woman and Coin Collector

Few women have left such a decisive mark on the history of 19th-century Europe as Cleméntine d’Orléans, and yet it was not until 2007 that her life was honored with a biography. Künker is now offering the coin collection that once belonged to this unusual woman.
Only 138 out of the planned 1,000 pieces were minted. This makes the Lion Dance a highly contested collector’s coin!

100 Yuan Lion Dance 1995: One of the Rarest Chinese Coins of Our Age

From 13 to 15 May 2024, Heidelberger Münzhandlung will hold its 88th auction sale. Among the highlights are some of the rarest contemporary issues from China, including the 100-yuan Lion Dance coin of 1995. 1,000 specimens should have been minted – but in the end, only 138 were produced.
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