The Melle Mines
When the Arabs went out in the 7th century to conquer a vast empire with their new faith, the world changed not only religiously and politically but also …
A King at a pinch – the stolen coin collection of Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
A King dealing in coins – that sounds preposterous? Well, in 1944 the satirical magazine “Nebelspalter” published a caricature of the same tenor which was understood throughout Europe. Victor Emmanuel’s passion for coins was proverbial. He is said to have collected 120,000 pieces as the foundation of the most important publication of Italian coinage, the CNI, whose first volume was published exactly 100 years ago…
Bullion coins part 4: American Buffalo
The bullion coin “American Buffalo” is supposed to capture the beauty of the Wild West. In reality though, the models used for the images were anything but wild.
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?
Joachim II and his Jewish court factor
On February 1, 2017 the auction house Künker offers the top items from the Gunther Hahn Collection “Brandenburg-Preussen” as part of its Berlin Auction. They include some extremely rare coins of Joachim II who relied on Lipman ben Juda to conduct his financial transactions.
Numismatics in Russia
What is it like when a government claims a monopoly on his culture? The real socialism in the former Soviet Union gives an appalling impression about what happens if the state prohibits any private collecting.
Vasily Gerasimov, distinguished expert on the Russian coin scene, provides a close up view of the Russian numismatic world – during socialism and today…
A mint for the Comstock Lode in Carson City / Nevada
Only for a few years the US Mint struck gold and silver coins at its branch in Carson City. Only 57 types of gold coins originated there. Auction house Gadoury is now able to offer an impressive number of these rarities in their forthcoming auction.
A Grand Representational Coinage for a Not Quite Definite Event
There are spectacular coins featuring the portrait of Ferdinand III all dated to 1629. Presumably they have been struck in Prague and were never thought to circulate. One of these coins will be for sale in the upcoming Sincona sale. Lutz Neumann is presenting it.
Richard the Lionheart Ruins England
Richard the Lionheart is known as the epitome of a heroic king. Returning from the Holy Land he was captured in Austria and to be released only for an immense ransom. This incident had devastating repercussions for England.
By examining 12 coins we are going to stroll through Great Britain’s history – this is part 3.
Two Dukes in Pomerania
On January 31, 2013, a Pomerania collection will be coming up for auction at Künkers’. Here, we present two coins from the collection that are as different as the men who had them minted.
