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.

The great Ottoman monetary reform

On December 12, 2011, the Osnabrück auction house Künker sells the Sultan Collection of Coins of the Ottoman Empire. These 908 lots reflect the history of the coins of the last Ottoman sultans and the monetary reform of 1845…

Christians fight against Christians with the assistance of the Turks

It is an unspectacular coin, that testimony of the culminating conflict between France and Spain, between Francis I and Charles V. …

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…

The history of South America told by coins from the Lissner Collection

The numismatic history of South America is as fascinating as its political turmoils between the Spanish Conquista and the fight for independence. The Lissner Collection has gathered innumerous numismatic gems and thus illustrates perfectly this intriguing history.

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…

The Turks at the gates of Vienna!

Künker Auction 289 will offer coins and medals bringing to mind the quarrel about the legacy of Louis of Hungary and the first Siege of Vienna. They form part of Ottoman Collection featuring coins referring to the difficult relation between the Ottoman Empire and the Occident.

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.