An Obituary to Arnold Spaer
Arnold Spaer a renowned collector of ancient coins passed away in Jerusalem on Friday March 4, 2011. He had formed his collection over more than 50 years…
Henry VII – Founder of the Tudor Dynasty
In the mid-15th century two aristocratic houses divided England deeply fighting the so-called War of the Roses. Henry VII overcame this situation by a marriage founding a new, stable dynasty: the Tudors.
By examining 12 coins we are going to stroll through Great Britain’s history – this is part 5.
Munich, the German Mecca for Coin Collectors
No other city in Germany offers such an accumulation of well-known coin auction houses in a relatively confined space as Munich does. On and around the Maximiliansplatz such important companies are located as…
A German Cicero
On 7 October, 2014, Künker auctions off the Horn Collection. It contains cimelia not just of the European but the German coinage as well. We would like to introduce you to a spectacular piece – the thick triple reichsthaler of Archbishop Anselm Casimir Wamboldt von Umstadt, nicknamed German Cicero.
Human faces, part 29: The Doge, powerless ruler over a mighty empire
That reality and depictions of reality are two different things is a lesson we already learnt in the episode on Constantine the Great. On this coin, the image of the Doge in his pompous attire belies a reality in which he hardly holds any power anymore.
Numismatic miniatures from the North: Part 2 – Why cashless could work in Sweden
Sweden is different. The mentality of its inhabitants is characterized by an incredible willingness to act rationally at the expense of one’s personal comfort. And as to what is rational, people are quite ready to let themselves be influenced. Here are some thoughts on why the concept of the cashless society might actually work in Sweden.
Human faces, part 30: The Hercules of Ferrara
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 today’s episode, we’ll tell you the story of an Italian prince who admired Hercules so much that he named his son after him.
Numismatic Miniatures from the North: Part 3 – Treasure Island. The History
If you’re looking for the island where the most treasures have been found, you don’t need to sail to the Caribbean. Far from it. The highest concentration of treasure finds is in the North, more specifically on the island of Gotland, which used to be a central trading post in the Baltic Sea.
Human faces, part 31: The Condottieri, winners in every war
From dishwasher to millionaire, or: from mercenary to Duke of Milan. Francesco Sforza did the impossible and founded one of the most influential families in Renaissance Italy.
Numismatic miniatures from the North: Part 4 – Treasure Island. Treasures, treasures and even more treasures
More than 700 treasure cases with around 180,000 coins have been discovered on the island of Gotland. The trader-peasants buried the earnings from their adventurous travels in the ground, where they were found by their descendants.
