Medieval Sicily Part 3: Arab Influence

The Arabs didn’t just rule Sicily. They had such an impact on its art and culture that this influence continued to have an effect long after the expulsion of the Muslim masters. This episode tells of what Europe owes to them.

Gold for Portugal

Portugaleser, that is how the magnificent large gold coins are called that were produced in Hamburg. But what do they have to do with Portugal? The answer lies in the route the African gold has taken in the Early Modern Times…

Gold rush in California: part III

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.

Human faces, part 35: A girl gets herself a husband

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 this episode, we will witness how a confident Isabella of Castile takes her rightful place on the throne next to her husband.

Human faces, part 46: “When you call, my Fatherland”

Why was the human head the motif on coins for centuries, no, for millennia? And why did that change in the last 200 years? Get to know more about the story of Helvetia, the personification of Switzerland, in this episode.

Human faces, part 42: The Duke of Friedland

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 this episode we talk about Albrecht von Wallenstein and his business model.

Human faces, part 36: Charles V – Territories as far as the eye can see

For centuries, no, for millennia, human faces were the most popular choice for the decoration of a coin obverse. That the coin’s reverse can be just as fascinating will be shown in this episode of our series.

How Malta Came under the British Flag

On March 12, 2015, the auction house Künker auctions off an unusually rare testimony of the Maltese history. The small silver ingot in the weight of 30 tari from 1800 is the last currency produced on Malta.

Human faces, part 47: The frivolous Vreneli

Why was the human head the motif on coins for centuries, no, for millennia? Discussions about the precise nature of these heads could be highly entertaining as the example of the Swiss Vreneli demonstrates.

Human faces, part 38: Henry VIII and the second of his six wives

That Henry VIII had an entire collection of wives in his lifetime is not news. But can you remember all of them? In this episode of “Human faces”, we will tell the story of his second wife, Anne Boleyn.