Waser – a calumniated mayor and his coins

On June 20, 2012 in Schaffhausen an exhibition was opened on the occasion of 25 years Sturzenegger Foundation. In these years the numismatic department too has received many important acquisitions as for instance this so-called wasertaler, a coin which tells about envy, calumniation, and the vanity of integrity.

Graspable Testimonies – Testimonies to Piety from Another Time: Part 2

On 16 October, 2014, the Werner Jaggi Collection will be sold. It is the largest collection of numismatic testimonies on religious beliefs and customs the market has ever seen. Here you will find information about pieces from Austria, Italy and Switzerland.

Introduction ‘The People of Zurich and their Money’ Part 1

Our series ‘The People of Zurich and their Money’ will present one exciting chapter of Swiss numismatics and economic history at a time. The introduction provides an initial overview in two parts. Follow along in this first section as we trace the evolution of Swiss numismatics from the beginning all the way through to the 16th century.

The world’s largest coin

$1 million is the face value of the largest coin of the world. 100 kilograms of pure gold with a fineness of 99999. Here you are told the story…

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.

A Glorious Revolution

Besides the fear of having no king at all the English feared always the scenario of a Catholic king. In 1688 dread of becoming re-Catholicised led the aristocrats to call a Protestant from the Netherlands to be their new king.
By examining 12 coins we are going to stroll through Great Britain’s history – this is part 9.

Queen of an Empire: Victoria

Under Victoria I Britain’s Empire embraced the whole world. But the Queen drew back from policy and let the politicians govern the country. That system should never change any more. By examining 12 coins we are going to stroll through Great Britain’s history – this is part 11.

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 Faerie Queene

It is called the most beautiful of all English coins, the coin type of young Queen Victoria that depicts her as Una leading the British lion with her scepter. The motif harks back to a 16th century poem that praised yet another queen. The Künker summer auction now offers one of these rare specimens for a pre-sale estimate of 50,000 euros.