Tag Archive for: History

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.

Gallienus and the East

On February 15, 2018, Münzen & Medaillen GmbH offers an impressive series of coins of Gallienus stemming from the Markus Weder collection. Claire Franklin-Werz is telling the story of their historical background.

A donative of Constantine the Great

This impressive piece belongs to a small series of silver medallions celebrating the vicennalia of Constantine II, the eldest surviving son of Constantine the Great, in 336.

I am the badge of Phanes

On March 8th, 2010, Gorny & Mosch will present a specimen of the mysterious key series of the early coin production. The Phanes stater from a private collection in Israel is estimated at 150.000 Euros. It is the …

The Mint of the United States of America in Philadelphia

In contrast to many other mints which seldom allow a visit to their production site, the Philadelphia Mint offered their visitors a comprehensive program including official guided tours and souvenirs as early as the end of the 19th century…

Taxes for Rome

Hands up anyone who hasn’t come to be annoyed by the tangled mass of regulations accompanying our tax collection. Perhaps at different times, the situation had been better… Perhaps in Rome?

80,000 Euros for a work of two Sicilian die cutters

For an impressive amount of money some extraordinary Greek coins were auctioned at Gorny & Mosch’s, Giessener Münzhandlung on October 10. One of them is a remarkable tetradrachm from Syracuse whose story you will read here…

Wolfgang II von Barby (1586-1615) – An Imperial Count in Financial Straits

On January 31, 2013, Künker will hold his fabulous Berlin sale in connection with the World Money Fair. Among the many rare pieces on offer is a unique thaler from Barby. This thaler testifies to the financial difficulties of the small imperial estate at the beginning of the modern era.

Ancient Sybrita: the mint where the most beautiful of Crete’s coins were made

The ancient community of Sybrita in Crete stills remains something of a terra incognita. That is even the more surprising given the fact that gorgeous silver coins had been produced there in Hellenistic times that celebrate Dionysos, the god of the wine.

Union et Force: A coin of the French Republic, minted under Napoleon

On February 4th, 2016, Künker will offer a French 5 franc gold pattern of year 10 for sale. The type can be traced back to the French Directory and it was only changed when Napoleon was certain of his power.