Ursula Kampmann

Once upon a time, there were two boozing companions hatching a plot how to deprive a juvenile of a part of his inheritance. What sounds like a perfect scenario for a Dickens novel can turn out tragic for entire peoples with the two buddies fond of tippling happen to rule Russia and Poland…

Once upon a time, high in the North, there was a fairytale king – or almost, since only the beginning of his story sounds like a fairytale. Fighting all alone against overpowering enemies, Charles XII, the puerile King of Sweden, managed to ...

In 1892 a joke did the rounds in South Africa. Finally the newly minted coins had been put into circulation. They depicted the ...

Gold has always been an alternative for investors. And since 1967, one can not only invest in bullion, but also in bullion coins. The South Africans ought to feel like the inventors of the gold bullion coin. They have been minting the Krugerrand since 1967.

Mozart is a brand, just like Coca Cola, Mercedes or Apple. With his name, everything can easily be sold: the Getreidegasse (Grain Lane) in Salzburg, the real Mozartkugeln (Mozart ball) and the country of Austria that depicts on his coins a composer who, strictly speaking isn’t of Austrian descent.

The euro coins are a splendid means for all countries in the eurozone to convey their own self-conception. Bertha von Suttner was at the forefront of a peace movement that considered in the early 20th century that all future wars could be prevented. Thus, she is a worthy protagonist for the Austrian euro coins.

Ducats were officially disestablished in Austria in 1858. However you can still buy 1 ducats and 4 ducats for investment purposes at the Austrian Mint, which all bear the date 1915. And in a few minutes you will know why.

On July 3, 1967 the South African Mint in Pretoria issued the first Krugerrand coins. A new concept was at the bottom of this: These coins could be used as circulation money; however, they did not bear a nominal value...

The Joanneum is the oldest and second largest museum in Austria, whose founding statute contains the obligation to collect domestic coins. Ursula Kampmann has paid the museum a visit.

Giovanni da Cavino was an exceptionally gifted artist and an honoured businessman when he imitated the first Roman coins. As ‘Paduans’, they were destined to achieve world fame later on. He provided the high society with what it looked for and earned good money with it. In those days, nobody would have dreamt co call him a forger...