A Unique Set: The Gold Off-Metal Strikes of Bavarian “Geschichtstalers”

There are probably no other 19th-century coins that have shaped our modern coinage as significantly as these: King Ludwig I of Bavaria created the first ever series of commemorative coins in the modern sense of the term. In 1902, Philipp von Ferrary commissioned the Bavarian State Mint to produce gold off-metal strikes of these coins. Numismatica Genevensis will be offering seven of these unique pieces at its auction this autumn.

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Bavaria Wants to Change Its Treasure Law

Bavaria plans to amend its treasure law, automatically making the state the owner of all treasures found, including coin hoards. It is also planned to prohibit the use of metal detectors.

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Hesse, Elizabeth and the Reformation

The story of how much influence St. Elizabeth had even centuries after her death is quite a spectacular one to tell. With the help of the Loos Collection, which will be on sale at Künker in September, we will do just that: talking of a canonized landgravine, political intrigues, power-conscious women and the consequences of syphilis.

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Gate Tokens: Relics of Nuremberg’s History

Only on rare occasions can we link a numismatic object to a specific person. Regarding Nuremberg gate tokens, this is possible. We know whose hands touched them. Three of these tokens are on offer at Künker’s Fall Auction Sales. We tell their story.

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Portugalesers: A Close Look at Brandenburg’s Gold Showpieces

Brandenburg’s portugalesers are among the greatest gold rarities of the Holy Roman Empire. Künker is able to offer as much as two of these rare pieces in auction 369. We take a close look at what these coins can tell us.

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An Unwilling Victor: Maurice of Saxony and the Schmalkaldic League

On 20 June 2022, the auction house Künker will be auctioning the first part of the Dr. Walter Kemlein Collection “Saxonia in Nummis”. It includes a double taler depicting the leaders of the Schmalkaldic League, among them Maurice of Saxony, who would have preferred not to be seen in this context.

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The Liberator: Augustus the Younger and His Bell Talers

On 21 March 2022, Künker will sell an important special collection of Welf issues. Among other things, it contains various types of the Brunswick glockentaler (bell talers). This article explains what Augustus the Younger wanted to express by means of these coins.

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Germany’s False Start: The Unsuccessful Imperial Election of 1849

The German Constitutional National Assembly at St Paul’s Church in Frankfurt was one of the greatest achievements of the German revolutions of 1848. On 28 March 1849, the assembly elected Frederick William IV as Emperor of a unified Germany. Too bad that he did not want to be German Emperor in the first place!

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Why the Munich Marienplatz Is Called Marienplatz

Our cities have evolved through history, and every architectural detail is connected to this history. We explain why the Munich Schrannenplatz (Grain Market Square) was renamed Marienplatz (Mary’s Square), using coins that will be on offer at Künker’s 2022 January Auction Sales as illustrations.

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Who Was Frederick the Wise?

We all think we know him: Frederick the Wise who hid Luther at Wartburg Castle to protect him from imperial reprisals. As part of the Köhlmoos Collection, Künker will offer some coins featuring his portrait on 26 January 2022 that help us look beyond the myth.

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