Patrona Bavariae
The depiction of the Virgin Mother is characteristic of Bavarian coins. What’s the reason for that? How did the Mary and her child take over the Bavarian coin obverses?
Tag Archive for: Nations
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.
Bullion coins part 4: American Buffalo
The bullion coin “American Buffalo” is supposed to capture the beauty of the Wild West. In reality though, the models used for the images were anything but wild.
The Irish harp
Every coin of Ireland, from 1 cent to 2 euros, features a harp. We ask why the harp plays such an important role in Irish identification.
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 Coronation Regalia of the Holy Roman Empire
Since 1424, the so-called Heiltumsweisung (Festival of Relics) was held each year in Nuremberg. On that occasion, the Imperial Regalia were taken out of the treasure chamber and presented to …
A King at a pinch – the stolen coin collection of Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
A King dealing in coins – that sounds preposterous? Well, in 1944 the satirical magazine “Nebelspalter” published a caricature of the same tenor which was understood throughout Europe. Victor Emmanuel’s passion for coins was proverbial. He is said to have collected 120,000 pieces as the foundation of the most important publication of Italian coinage, the CNI, whose first volume was published exactly 100 years ago…
Sigismondo Malatesta – Condottiere and Ruler of Rimini
In 1462, there was a great fire to be witnessed in Rome: Pope Pius II burnt the effigy of Sigismondo Malatesta, once beloved son and captain-general of the Holy Roman Church. Who was this man? A beast? The anti-christ? Or simply a child of one’s times?
Richard the Lionheart Ruins England
Richard the Lionheart is known as the epitome of a heroic king. Returning from the Holy Land he was captured in Austria and to be released only for an immense ransom. This incident had devastating repercussions for England.
By examining 12 coins we are going to stroll through Great Britain’s history – this is part 3.
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.
