Entries by Ursula Kampmann

Bullion coins part 2: The Maple Leaf

The Canadian Maple Leaf is currently one of the most popular bullion coins worldwide. This is not only due to its ubiquitous availability but it is also popular because of its high purity and the security features, the Royal Canadian Mint has come up with.

The coins of the Channel Island of Guernsey

The Channel Island of Guernsey is a popular destination with tourists. The island doesn’t form part of Great Britain, but, as Bailiwick, has been Crown dependency of the English monarchs since the Middle Ages. The local coins still bear witness to this.

Poets and their income: William Shakespeare

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 in this article about Shakespeare.

The Holy Year on coins and medals

Do you know what the Church understands by a ‘Holy Year’? Initially, it was created as a special attraction for the pilgrims coming to Rome who were promised a plenary indulgence. Today, every Pope has his own year. In this regard, we show you coins from five centuries…

Leyden suffering – a siege during the Dutch War of Independence

Few wars have appealed to people’s emotions like the Dutch War of Independence. The roles seemed to be assigned all too clearly: on the one side there were the evil Catholic Spaniards, on the other the good Protestant Dutchmen. What we omit, however, is that this war was one the first in which propaganda was utilized in full awareness of its effects.

From Pavia to the Sack of Rome – siege coins in Italy

Why was it that Renaissance rulers went to Italy to seek good fortune? Why was it that thousands of ducats and thaler were spent on mercenary soldiers? This article gives an insight into the war between Francis I of France and Charles V of Italy…