The Irish harp
Every coin of Ireland, from 1 cent to 2 euros, features a harp. We ask why the harp plays such an important role in Irish identification.
Entries by Ursula Kampmann
Poets and their income: Walther von der Vogelweide
Beyond price – no, great art has never been beyond price. Quite the opposite actually, as it had a clearly defined price. We will see just how high that price was, looking at the most famous German minstrel – Walther von der Vogelweide.
Poets and their income: Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen
Beyond price – no, great art has never been beyond price. Quite the opposite actually – it had a clearly defined price. We will see just how high that price was, looking at the example of the German baroque poet Grimmelshausen. No one has left us with a more impressive account of the Thirty Years’ War.
Bullion coins part 4: American Buffalo
The bullion coin “American Buffalo” is supposed to capture the beauty of the Wild West. In reality though, the models used for the images were anything but wild.
Human Faces Part 4: Philip II as Hegemon of Greece
Why is it that for centuries – or rather thousands of years – the head has served as the motif for the side of a coin? And why has this changed in the last 200 years? Ursula Kampmann poses these questions in her book ‘MenschenGesichter,’ from which the texts for our new series are taken.
Human Faces Part 2: Athena and Athens
Why is it that for centuries – or rather thousands of years – the head has served as the motif for the side of a coin? And why has this changed in the last 200 years? Ursula Kampmann poses these questions in her book ‘MenschenGesichter,’ from which the texts for our new series are taken.
In the emperor’s service – the legions
Do you sometimes dream of visiting the epoch when Roman legions dominated the world, in the same way as the time traveller of H. G. Wells? Of course it is impossible, but modern re-enactment gives you quite a good idea of what the soldiers once accomplished.
Alexander of Abonuteichos – a lesson from Asia Minor about gullibility in the 2nd cent. A. D.
You are one of those people who believe than there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy? Well, you are in accordance with a deep-seated tradition and can appeal to the fact that already in antiquity there were people who thought the same as you. ..
Cent, Nickel, Dime – what is depicted on American coinage and why?
Everybody all over the world is acquainted with the American dollar. But did you ever have a closer look at the three smallest denominations of US coinage? They represent the American conception of the world, too. At the risk of boring our constant readers from the United States, here is a short comment on the subjects pictured there…
Coins in the fountain well: Trevi Fountain in Rome
Do you know actually, who invented the fashion to throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain in Rome in order to return to the Eternal City? If you do not, you will find the answer within this article…
