Archive: People and Markets
The Black Lizard from Brusnik Island in Ultra-High Relief
Croatia is home to a lizard species that would have impressed even Darvin himself: the autochthonous black lizard, found only on the island of Brusnik. On 14 March 2024, Croatia issued three collector coins in its honour. Now the fourth, a two-ounce silver version in ultra-high relief, has been released.
Where Did Silver Come from in Early Medieval Europe?
In the mid-7th century, a veritable silver coin boom set off in the North Sea Region. So far, the question of where the silver for the coins came from was up for speculation. A new study provides concrete results.
Archive: Coins, Medals and more

What Do Gaming Counters Have to Do with Numismatics?
On 5 July 2025, Künker will offer a complete set of trictrac pieces at its auction 425. The ensemble is of great cultural and historical value. This prompts us to ask why gaming counters are part of the numismatic field – and what insights they can offer into the numismatic daily life of the early modern period.

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.











NUMMUS – Spain’s New Numismatic Society
In March 2024, a new numismatic association was created in Spain with a strong commitment to private collectors as agents of cultural generation and heritage conservation. Find out more about the aims of NUMMUS here.
2023 Was a Record Year for Archaeological Finds in the UK
The British Museum has launched the latest Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) Annual Report, showing a record high of 74,506 finds recorded by the public in 2023. See some of the highlights here.