The Casa Savoia – A Noble Family between Italy, France, and Switzerland Part 2

Auction house Gadoury will auction off an extensive collection Casa Savoia originating from the possessions of a gentleman of the royal family. In the second article of the three-part series you will learn more about how the counts of Savoy became kings – and then lost all of their power again.

The Rue Mouffetard treasure

Every day, thousands of tourists stroll about the Rue Mouffetard, the “food alley” of Paris. Amongst aromatic cheese and huge sides of beef very few are aware that that one of the most spectacular coin treasures of the 18th century was found in house no. 51-53…

How Malta Came under the British Flag

On March 12, 2015, the auction house Künker auctions off an unusually rare testimony of the Maltese history. The small silver ingot in the weight of 30 tari from 1800 is the last currency produced on Malta.

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”.

Human faces, part 43: The thrifty Sun King

Frugality is probably the last thing you would associate with Louis XIV. Versailles is not the only manifestation of the more than lavish lifestyle that he was so popular for. Still, this episode shows a very different side of the monarch.

Human faces, part 45: The birth of liberty

Why was the human head the motif on coins for centuries, no, for millennia? And why did that change in the last 200 years? Today we will talk about the aftermath of the French Revolution and the beginning of a reign of terror …

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.