Archive: People and Markets

A heroic connection? The US Mint is planning coins and medals featuring comic book heroes from the DC universe. Photo: United States Mint / DC LOGO: © & ™ DC.

When Coins meet Comics: United States Mint and Warner Bros. Join Forces

The Historic modern culture partnership is a first of its kind for the United States Mint. Collectors are invited to vote for their favorite superheroes that will be appearing on US coins soon.

Read more

The MDC Awards 2023

After a five-year break, the Mint Directors Conference took place in Ottawa, Canada, from October 15 to 18. One of the most eagerly awaited events was the announcement of the winners of the prestigious MDC Awards. You can now find them here.

Read more
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (in the centre) is the tallest building in Harare. Photo: Baynham Goredema from Johannesburg, South Africa / CC BY 2.0

Zimbabwe Issues Digital Gold Tokens for Investors

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe offers Gold-backed digital tokens for investment. The offer closed on 10 May 2023.

Read more
Ursula Kampmann at the International Conference on Islamic Numismatics.

International Conference on Islamic Numismatics

From 18 to 20 May 2023, the ICIN – the International Conference on Islamic Numismatics – took place in Riyadh, Saudi-Arabia. A complete success! Never before have so many specialists on Islamic numismatics gathered in one place. Ursula Kampmann was there.

Read more

Archive: Coins, Medals and more

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.
Railway tunnel under Surami pass near the village Tsipa, Chkherimela valley, Georgia 2014. Image: Karel61 via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0. In front: Silver medal commemorating the opening of the Suram Tunnel in 1890 by L. Steinman. Künker auction 408, No. 234.

For Railroad Fans: The Suram Tunnel

Railroad history is linked to numismatics in many ways. Fascinating large-scale projects were often celebrated with medals and commemorative coins. Our example takes us to Georgia: A medal that will be offered for auction by Künker commemorates the opening of the Suram Tunnel.
Search Search