Articles of the week

The Augustean Denarius Find From Brohl-Lützing Offered at Auction

In the current auction of Solidus, the treasure find of Brohl-Lützing is on offer. The hoard of 18 denarii contains rare coinage from Pompeius to Augustus and thus takes us right into the highly exciting era of the Roman civil wars.

Napoleon III, painting by Alexandre Cabanel, around 1865. It was the favourite portrait of Empress Eugénie because it was the most accurate depiction of him.

French History in Coins – Part 3: A New Napoleon

Under Emperor Napoleon III, France experienced an economic upswing. The Paris cityscape was completely revamped, just as coin designs. The gold rush in the US thrust Europe’s silver money into a crisis. The answer came from France.

The Heidelberg Tun and Early Modern Winemaking

The most well-known symbol of the city of Heidelberg actually began as a sort of treasury: the Heidelberg Tun was built to accommodate the Palatinate’s tax revenue generated from winemaking. And then a Calvinist propagandist turned it into a tourist attraction. This is reflected in a medal that Künker will be auctioning on 29 September 2023.

Horace Vernet, Barrikadenkampf in der Rue Soufflot, Paris, 25. Juni 1848 (Juniaufstand).

French History in Coins – Part 2: From the Second Republic to the Second Empire

In the 19th century, people in France suffered from hunger and poverty. There were uprisings and a revolution. But the first president of the new republic was a nephew of Napoleon and completely took after the old emperor.

Jean Duplessis-Bertaux, The Storming of the Tuleries on 10 August 1792, 1793.

French History in Coins – Part 1: Kings, Consuls and Emperors

The French Revolution also revolutionised the country’s monetary system. Join us on our voyage through the monetary history of modern France. We will start with the First Republic and one of the most famous French coins out there.

A map of the Duchy of Jülich-Berg by Willem and Joan Blaeu, 1645 and the reverse of the newly discovered denomination of a 6 Albus light of 1640.

A Discovery From Jülich-Berg

New coin varieties are not so uncommon, but a new denomination really is. Joachim Stollhoff has found a 6 Albus light of the Duchy of Jülich-Berg minted in 1640. The coin will be offered in the forthcoming auction of Münzen & Medaillen GmbH.

Maria Theresa and Her Persecution of Jews

On 18 December 1744, Maria Theresa adopted a decree that expelled 40,000 Bohemian Jews from their homeland. A medal testifies to the fact that she had to revoke the decree due to financial and diplomatic pressure. The time of Jewish persecution was over for the time being – that is, until the genocide of the Jews in the 20th century.

The Wedding of a Century in Saxony

In the days of absolutism, a feast was not simply a gathering of friends and family. It was a political means of propagating one’s status. That is exactly what Augustus the Strong did in 1719. His son’s wedding was nothing but a welcome occasion.

From Taler to Mark: The Long Road to a Common Currency

As Germany gradually evolved into a nation-state in the 19th century, the many currencies that circulated in its territories were also unified step by step. Coins from the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in Künker’s auction 388 illustrate the long path from the taler to the mark.

Gustav III: A Conservative Revolutionary

On 20 June 2023, Künker will auction off medals that the Swedish King Gustav III himself gave as a present to the young Peter Frederick Augustus of Oldenburg. These medals are a testament to the policies of the king who was shot dead at a masked ball in 1792.