Tag Archive for: Nations

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.

Why Sigismund ‘rich in coin’ died a destitute man

The date was February 7th, 1496. Columbus hadn’t returned from his second journey yet, in the realm of the Holy Roman Empire everyone was upset about general taxation which had been decided at the diet at Worms one year ago, and the Syphilis which had been introduced from America spread all over Europe. Much happened those days indeed; and in a secluded chamber in the Innsbruck Residence a lonely man laid dying.

The Princes of Solms

In early Modern times the Hesse noble house of Solms faced like many other nobles financial problems. The imperial service and own coin issues were their way of solving that issue. Even though some members of the family had not been granted the minting privilege at all …

Gold rush in California: part I

Countless stories tell of the Californian gold rush which brought thousands of men to America, the Promised Land. But the gold made only very few rich. The majority died as a result of the exertion during the travel, the hard work and the disappointment when they returned back home, poorer than they had come. Their story should be told here.

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.

Brandenburg and 200 years of Confessio Augustana

The scene Andreas Vestner has recorded on a silver medal produced by order of Karl Wilhelm Friedrich of Brandenburg-Ansbach is impressive to see: The Chancellor of Saxony is reading out the Augsburg Confession. But why did the ‘Wild Margrave’ of all people commission this medal?

How Malta Came under the British Flag

On March 12, 2015, the auction house Künker auctions off an unusually rare testimony of the Maltese history. The small silver ingot in the weight of 30 tari from 1800 is the last currency produced on Malta.

Human faces, part 47: The frivolous Vreneli

Why was the human head the motif on coins for centuries, no, for millennia? Discussions about the precise nature of these heads could be highly entertaining as the example of the Swiss Vreneli demonstrates.

Human faces, part 32: Murder in Milan

After the brutal murder of the Duke of Milan, only one question is on the mind of Milan’s aristocracy: who will follow in his office? The seven-year-old son? Quite surprisingly, the succession is settled peacefully. Peaceful, but not uneventful, thanks to the dowager duchess…

This is how coins with polymer ring are made: a visit to the Karlsruhe Mint

On April 14, 2016, the 5 euro coins “Planet Earth” will be released. The number of orders exceeds the mintage. For all those who came away empty-handed we have a view inside the Karlsruhe Mint where a portion of the mintage was produced.