Tag Archive for: History

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…

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.

Napoleon tames the Saxon Steed

Napoleon was a master in the art of humiliation. Please find here a characteristic example of his mastership: The French Victoria is taming the Saxon Steed on a medal made from Saxon silver.

The Treaty of Hamburg

In 1701, the Treaty of Hamburg ended the dispute over Mecklenburg-Güstrow between Friedrich Wilhelm I and Adolf Friedrich II. And another dispute culminated in the medals minted to mark the treaty, namely the one between the mint-master and the warden of the Schwerin mint. We are telling you the story.

The Delian League and the Athenian Money

In 479 BC the Greeks defeated the Persians at Plataiai. At that time nobody dared to hope that the fight was so soon to end. On the contrary, every Greek city was afraid of the Persian king, who had vast resources at his disposal. He was feared to raise another army in order to conquer the whole of Greece. Something had to be done to prevent that.

Numismatics in Russia

What is it like when a government claims a monopoly on his culture? The real socialism in the former Soviet Union gives an appalling impression about what happens if the state prohibits any private collecting.
Vasily Gerasimov, distinguished expert on the Russian coin scene, provides a close up view of the Russian numismatic world – during socialism and today…

A temple for Honos

A coin of Trajan shows a temple for Honos in great detail. Honos? You don’t know this Roman deity? Join us and you will get to know her…