Tag Archive for: History

An Unwilling Victor: Maurice of Saxony and the Schmalkaldic League

On 20 June 2022, the auction house Künker will be auctioning the first part of the Dr. Walter Kemlein Collection “Saxonia in Nummis”. It includes a double taler depicting the leaders of the Schmalkaldic League, among them Maurice of Saxony, who would have preferred not to be seen in this context.

From Lira to Euro. Italy’s History in Coins – Part 9: Forza Italia

Italy’s governments tend to survive for rather short amounts of time. The political system had been surprisingly solid – until it collapsed completely due to a corruption scandal. A man who was to guide Italy into the eurozone made use of this situation in 1994: Silvio Berlusconi.

Swiss Money for Swiss Citizens

Today, only Swiss coins circulate in Switzerland. But this has only been the case for less than a century. A very rare Swiss 5 franc piece from 1928, which will be auctioned by the Rapp auction house on 6 May 2022, testifies to this shift in monetary policy.

From Lira to Euro. Italy’s History in Coins – Part 8: The Mezzogiorno

After the Second World War, Italy experienced an economic boom – mainly thinks to the workers from South Italy who slaved away in the north for little money. To this day, the country has not overcome the gap between the rich north and the poor south.

The Treasure at the End of the Rainbow

On 5 April 2022 auction house Künker offers the Christian Flesche Collection, which is probably the most spectacular collection of Celtic coins that has entered the market in recent years. Of course, it also contains the mysterious rainbow cups.

The Liberator: Augustus the Younger and His Bell Talers

On 21 March 2022, Künker will sell an important special collection of Welf issues. Among other things, it contains various types of the Brunswick glockentaler (bell talers). This article explains what Augustus the Younger wanted to express by means of these coins.

The Last Coins of Independent Syracuse

The second part of Künker’s Spring Auction Sales is dedicated to antiquity: This article presents three specimens that are among the last coins that were issued by independent Syracuse while the Romans besieged the city and Archimedes built his defense machines.

A Testimony to the Habsburgs’ Claim to Power: The Three Emperors Issue

Künker offers two gold coins of the so-called Three Emperors Issue as part of the sale of the Salton Collection. We summarize what is known about these mysterious pieces, which are symbolic of Habsburgs’ claim to power.

Germany’s False Start: The Unsuccessful Imperial Election of 1849

The German Constitutional National Assembly at St Paul’s Church in Frankfurt was one of the greatest achievements of the German revolutions of 1848. On 28 March 1849, the assembly elected Frederick William IV as Emperor of a unified Germany. Too bad that he did not want to be German Emperor in the first place!

Why the Munich Marienplatz Is Called Marienplatz

Our cities have evolved through history, and every architectural detail is connected to this history. We explain why the Munich Schrannenplatz (Grain Market Square) was renamed Marienplatz (Mary’s Square), using coins that will be on offer at Künker’s 2022 January Auction Sales as illustrations.