Tag Archive for: History

Henry VII – Founder of the Tudor Dynasty

In the mid-15th century two aristocratic houses divided England deeply fighting the so-called War of the Roses. Henry VII overcame this situation by a marriage founding a new, stable dynasty: the Tudors.
By examining 12 coins we are going to stroll through Great Britain’s history – this is part 5.

Pour le mérite

On May 31, 1740, Frederick II succeeded his father on the throne, soldier-king Frederick William I. To the 28 year-old, that came as some kind of liberation. Finally, he was able to carry out his ideas.

The Whore of Babylon – or: Religious Tolerance prior to the Thirty Years’ War

The coming Künker sale of February 6, 2014, is offering a so-called “biblical thaler”. This piece is a wonderful testimony to the political attitude of a contemporary of the Thirty Year’s War. Here you will find the story behind this remarkable coin.

A German Cicero

On 7 October, 2014, Künker auctions off the Horn Collection. It contains cimelia not just of the European but the German coinage as well. We would like to introduce you to a spectacular piece – the thick triple reichsthaler of Archbishop Anselm Casimir Wamboldt von Umstadt, nicknamed German Cicero.

Sicilian Mosaic Part 12: Naxos and Leontinoi

Naxos was the first Greek city founded on Sicily. Today we take a look at its coins, as well as the coins of Leontinoi, founded by Naxos, and Catane.

Poets and their income: Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen

Beyond price – no, great art has never been beyond price. Quite the opposite actually – it had a clearly defined price. We will see just how high that price was, looking at the example of the German baroque poet Grimmelshausen. No one has left us with a more impressive account of the Thirty Years’ War.

Nine months and 13 days: the reign of Galba

In its Auction 333 to be held on November 30, 2017, the long-standing auction house Hess-Divo offers a particularly remarkable special collection, the Galba Collection. It is dedicated to the Roman Emperor Galba, as the first emperor who no longer stemmed from the Julio-Claudian dynasty. We tell his story through some of the rarities stemming from this collection.

The Melle Mines

When the Arabs went out in the 7th century to conquer a vast empire with their new faith, the world changed not only religiously and politically but also …

Big price for an emergency coin

The city of Syracuse issued a marvelous gold coin during its war against the Carthaginians. A perfect specimen of this emission sold for 66.700 Euro during the last auction sale of Gorny & Mosch…

Henry VIII – the Man Who Had Six Wives

Henry VIII is renowned for his many wifes. Behind these marriages was his endeavour to unite love and a secure dynasty. On behalf of this goal he even broke with the Pope and the church.
By examining 12 coins we are going to stroll through Great Britain’s history – this is part 6.