Archive: People and Markets

The British Museum: When Theft Becomes PR

Once again, the BM made negative headlines: Ilé Sartuzi stole a coin unnoticed during a hands-on tour and declared this an artistic performance. A commentary by Ursula Kampmann.

A Perfect Hunter: The Leopard on African Coins

Few people are lucky enough to see a leopard in the wild. On coins, however, the nimble and silent hunters can be encountered more frequently. With Dirk Wasserthal of RareCoin, we take you on a numismatic safari and present five rare African gold coins that have the potential to appreciate.

Two Robberies in Two Days – French Museums Targeted by Criminals

Last week, two museums in France were robbed. The museums were helpless in the face of the criminals’ ruthless brutality. Is it even possible to protect our cultural heritage in this day and age?

Nur eine dieser Münzen ist echt. Erkennen Sie, bei welcher es sich um eine von der Spanischen Nationalpolizei sichergestellten Fälschung handelt? Die Antwort: Die linke Münze ist die Fälschung: Foto: Policía Nacional via X.

Counterfeiters of Hundreds of Thousands of Euro Coins Arrested

A large-scale counterfeiting workshop has been raided in Spain. The culprits put half a million fake 2-euro coins in circulation throughout Europe. Read on to find out how the perpetrators evaded the police for years and how you can identify the counterfeits.

Archive: Coins, Medals and more

Sotheby’s, The One (2nd February 2024), lot 8: The 2nd May 1840 Penny Black Cover. Estimate: $1,500,000 – $2,500,000.

The First Piece of Mail Sent Using a Stamp to Be Offered at Sotheby’s

A Penny Black affixed to a Mulready envelope is among the most valuable items in Philately ever offered at auction. The earliest posted envelope using a prepaid stamp, dating to 1840, will be sold at Sotheby’s with an estimate of $1.5–2.5 million.
Contemporary allegory on the Great Elector Frederick William of Brandenburg.

The Great Elector, Taxes and the Rise of Prussia

On 1 February 2024, the Künker auction house will hold its 400th auction sale. Among the 770 lots are very rare issues from the reign of Frederick William of Brandenburg-Prussia. They bear witness to the achievements of the Great Elector, who brought prosperity to a realm devastated by the Thirty Years’ War.
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