Between Germany and France: A story about the fortress of Philippsburg

On June 20, 2011, Künker’s will auction a thaler of Christoph of Soetern of utmost rarity struck in honor of Udenheim. The coin was issued just after the fortress had been completed, only some weeks before it was renamed in Philippsburg. Here’s the story about the man, the coin and the fortress…

Bohemia and the House of Habsburg – a conflict-laden relationship

Habsburg coins having been minted in the Prague Mint is something we very much take for granted. In its Auction 285, to be held on 2 February 2017, the auction house Künker offers an entire series of these. But it was anything but ordained by God that Bohemia became subject to the rule of the House of Habsburg.

Patrona Bavariae

The depiction of the Virgin Mother is characteristic of Bavarian coins. What’s the reason for that? How did the Mary and her child take over the Bavarian coin obverses?

The Whore of Babylon – or: Religious Tolerance prior to the Thirty Years’ War

The coming Künker sale of February 6, 2014, is offering a so-called “biblical thaler”. This piece is a wonderful testimony to the political attitude of a contemporary of the Thirty Year’s War. Here you will find the story behind this remarkable coin.

The Reformation jubilee in Quedlinburg Abbey

On 29 June 2017, a very rare commemorative coin of the abbess of Quedlinburg will be put to auction at Künker sale 294. It is dedicated to the Reformation jubilee of 1617, but the question arises, where people got the idea to celebrate the jubilee in the first place.

Trinity Medal

On March 13, 2014, the famous Trinity Medal created by Hans Reinhart the Elder will be auctioned off at Künker. The masterpiece of German medal art is part of the Baums Collection.

Brandenburg and 200 years of Confessio Augustana

The scene Andreas Vestner has recorded on a silver medal produced by order of Karl Wilhelm Friedrich of Brandenburg-Ansbach is impressive to see: The Chancellor of Saxony is reading out the Augsburg Confession. But why did the ‘Wild Margrave’ of all people commission this medal?

Reformation jubilees – a journey through the centuries

Künker will auction a major collection of coins and medals related to the Reformation on September 27, 2017. Using this material, this article shows the extent to which politics of the past centuries used Luther and the Reformation jubilee for their own purposes.

The Anabaptists – an episode from the history of Münster

Anyone looking up the St. Lambert’s Church in Münster discovers above the church clock a kind of decoration that is more than peculiar. High above, for everyone to see, there are three iron cages suspended from the steeple. Their background story will be told today.

The hunting prince

Why do so many Baroque coins and medals refer to hunting? This question comes to mind due to the Hirsch Nachf. sale 333 on September 21, 2017, in which the collection of a hunter (and collector) will be auctioned off. It contains a large variety of Baroque hunting scenes.