Tag Archive for: History

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.

Unique coin of British king who fled to Germany

On 2 June 2013 a silver unit of a previously unrecorded type was found in east Kent, former land of the Cantiaci. It was struck by Amminus, a Cantian king who ruled in Kent around AD 30-40, shortly before the Claudian invasion in AD 43, which he may have encouraged.

Sestos and Abydos, Hero and Leander: a Love Story in Coinage

Through the images on their coins ancient cities reflected on what they believed to constitute their identity. For that purpose two cities situated on the Hellespont strait in Asia Minor chose a moving love story with a tragic ending.

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.

40 Years Gorny & Mosch Giessener Münzhandlung

Many coin collectors never forget, who was the one, who sold the very first coin to them. Perhaps you as well will remember your own collecting past, while reading the history of 40 years of Gorny & Mosch…

Human faces, part 27: Stupor Mundi

Why was the human head the motif on coins for centuries, no, for millennia? And why did that change in the last 200 years? A particularly clever mind was hidden in Frederick’s II head, whose inexhaustible thirst for knowledge earned him the nickname “Stupor Mundi”, wonder of the world.

Human faces, part 42: The Duke of Friedland

Why was the human head the motif on coins for centuries, no, for millennia? And why did that change in the last 200 years? In this episode we talk about Albrecht von Wallenstein and his business model.

2000-year-old Victoria Cross found

In October 2012 metal detectorist John Goody found a ‘new’ ancient British coin, hitherto unrecorded and unpublished. It is rather worn, but nonetheless intriguing because I’m unable as yet to pin it down to a particular ruler or even, with confidence, to a particular tribe.

Human faces, part 28: Fight for Sicily

Why was the human head the motif on coins for centuries, no, for millennia? And why did that change in the last 200 years? Find out why the Houses of Anjou and Aragón fought for Sicily and how Ferdinand of Aragón cleverly used coins for propagandistic purposes in this episode.