Human faces, part 44: Flight to Varennes
Why was the human head the motif on coins for centuries, no, for millennia? And why did that change in the last 200 years? In this episode, Louis XVI tries to escape his death in vain.
Entries by Ursula Kampmann
Human faces, part 28: Fight for Sicily
Why was the human head the motif on coins for centuries, no, for millennia? And why did that change in the last 200 years? Find out why the Houses of Anjou and Aragón fought for Sicily and how Ferdinand of Aragón cleverly used coins for propagandistic purposes in this episode.
Numismatic miniatures from the North: Part 4 – Treasure Island. Treasures, treasures and even more treasures
More than 700 treasure cases with around 180,000 coins have been discovered on the island of Gotland. The trader-peasants buried the earnings from their adventurous travels in the ground, where they were found by their descendants.
Numismatic Miniatures from the North: Part 3 – Treasure Island. The History
If you’re looking for the island where the most treasures have been found, you don’t need to sail to the Caribbean. Far from it. The highest concentration of treasure finds is in the North, more specifically on the island of Gotland, which used to be a central trading post in the Baltic Sea.
Numismatic miniatures from the North: Part 2 – Why cashless could work in Sweden
Sweden is different. The mentality of its inhabitants is characterized by an incredible willingness to act rationally at the expense of one’s personal comfort. And as to what is rational, people are quite ready to let themselves be influenced. Here are some thoughts on why the concept of the cashless society might actually work in Sweden.
The Mints of San Francisco: Part 2 The New Mint
Gaining access to the San Francisco Mint is not that easy. And it is outright prohibited to take photographs, strictly speaking. We can still provide you with interesting insights: old and new photographs of one of the world’s biggest mints.
A coin is being made – the Swiss commemorative coins celebrating the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel
It takes much effort and planning until a collector can purchase his commemorative coin that will serve as a memento of an event which – like the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel – will become part of the national myth.
This is how coins with polymer ring are made: a visit to the Karlsruhe Mint
On April 14, 2016, the 5 euro coins “Planet Earth” will be released. The number of orders exceeds the mintage. For all those who came away empty-handed we have a view inside the Karlsruhe Mint where a portion of the mintage was produced.
Human faces, part 47: The frivolous Vreneli
Why was the human head the motif on coins for centuries, no, for millennia? Discussions about the precise nature of these heads could be highly entertaining as the example of the Swiss Vreneli demonstrates.
Human faces, part 37: Francis I, “Traitor of Christendom”
Why was the human head the motif on coins for centuries, no, for millennia? And why did that change in the last 200 years? In this episode, King Francis I makes a politically necessary decision, which earns him the title “Traitor of Christendom”.
