From Lira to Euro. Italy’s History in Coins – Part 8: The Mezzogiorno
After the Second World War, Italy experienced an economic boom – mainly thinks to the workers from South Italy who slaved away in the north for little money. To this day, the country has not overcome the gap between the rich north and the poor south.
The Treasure at the End of the Rainbow
On 5 April 2022 auction house Künker offers the Christian Flesche Collection, which is probably the most spectacular collection of Celtic coins that has entered the market in recent years. Of course, it also contains the mysterious rainbow cups.
The Liberator: Augustus the Younger and His Bell Talers
On 21 March 2022, Künker will sell an important special collection of Welf issues. Among other things, it contains various types of the Brunswick glockentaler (bell talers). This article explains what Augustus the Younger wanted to express by means of these coins.
The Last Coins of Independent Syracuse
The second part of Künker’s Spring Auction Sales is dedicated to antiquity: This article presents three specimens that are among the last coins that were issued by independent Syracuse while the Romans besieged the city and Archimedes built his defense machines.
A Testimony to the Habsburgs’ Claim to Power: The Three Emperors Issue
Künker offers two gold coins of the so-called Three Emperors Issue as part of the sale of the Salton Collection. We summarize what is known about these mysterious pieces, which are symbolic of Habsburgs’ claim to power.
Germany’s False Start: The Unsuccessful Imperial Election of 1849
The German Constitutional National Assembly at St Paul’s Church in Frankfurt was one of the greatest achievements of the German revolutions of 1848. On 28 March 1849, the assembly elected Frederick William IV as Emperor of a unified Germany. Too bad that he did not want to be German Emperor in the first place!
Why the Munich Marienplatz Is Called Marienplatz
Our cities have evolved through history, and every architectural detail is connected to this history. We explain why the Munich Schrannenplatz (Grain Market Square) was renamed Marienplatz (Mary’s Square), using coins that will be on offer at Künker’s 2022 January Auction Sales as illustrations.
A Festival for St Wenceslas
St Wenceslas is the central motif on Czechoslovak commemorative coins. And there is a good reason for it: in 1929, 750,000 believers celebrated the 1000th anniversary of his death. A coin series issued between 1923 and 1936 – on offer at Künker on 26 January 2022 – demonstrates how important St Wenceslas was for young Czechoslovakia.
Who Was Frederick the Wise?
We all think we know him: Frederick the Wise who hid Luther at Wartburg Castle to protect him from imperial reprisals. As part of the Köhlmoos Collection, Künker will offer some coins featuring his portrait on 26 January 2022 that help us look beyond the myth.
From Lira to Euro. Italy’s History in Coins – Part 7: The Church and Fascism
In 1929, the Vatican and Italy signed the Lateran Treaty. This international agreement was the ultimate accolade for Mussolini. The Duce dreamed of an Italian empire in Africa and around the Mediterranean Sea. However, this dream turned into a nightmare.