What is left of the man who invented the taler
The city of Hall is always worth a visit, not only because of its interesting museum on minting technology in the mint tower. Near the parish church, too, a numismatic treasure can be found…
Between Prussia and Austria – The Vienna Coinage Contract
Künker offers a comprehensive selection of coins of Emperor Franz Joseph on September 28, 2011 in sale 195. This is a splendid opportunity to recall the impact of the Vienna Coinage Contract of 1857 on the Austrian currency…
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.
The bone – or rather stone – of contention
There are two nations who both raise a claim to the Prince’s Stone as part of their cultural heritage: Slovenia and Carinthia. This story is a splendid topic for debate that has also manifested itself in numismatics.
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…
The History of Austria as Reflected in its Paper Money
The history of Austria’s paper money is characterized by ups and downs. The banknotes tell of times of crises, revolutions, and the end of the monarchy. And, of course, of counterfeiters who took advantage of the multinational state’s weaknesses.
The Year of the Freigeld in Wörgl
Who knows Wörgl nowadays? Yet for a short period of time the entire world looked at this small town. In 1932/3, one of the most successful …
The house of Hohenems and his bishops
The masters of Hohenems owed their rise to become the most important noble family in Vorarlberg to their loyalty to the House of Habsburg. Two family members …
Medieval Sicily Part 4: The Normans are coming
Around AD 1000, Sicily was ruled and shaped by the Arabs, Lower Italy by the Byzantines and the Lombards. Then the Normans came and created a new empire in the South …
Gold rush in California: part II
Countless stories tell of the Californian gold rush which brought thousands of men to America, the Promised Land. But the gold made only very few rich. The majority died as a result of the exertion during the travel, the hard work and the disappointment when they returned back home, poorer than they had come. Their story should be told here.
