Articles

The Arabs didn’t just rule Sicily. They had such an impact on its art and culture that this influence continued to have an effect long after the expulsion of the Muslim masters. This episode tells of what Europe owes to them.

Every day, thousands of tourists stroll about the Rue Mouffetard, the “food alley” of Paris. Amongst aromatic cheese and huge sides of beef very few are aware that that one of the most spectacular coin treasures of the 18th century was found in house no. 51-53...

This impressive piece belongs to a small series of silver medallions celebrating the vicennalia of Constantine II, the eldest surviving son of Constantine the Great, in 336.

When the Arabs went out in the 7th century to conquer a vast empire with their new faith, the world changed not only religiously and politically but also ...

Why do we find Chimaira on the staters of the city of Sikyon? A search for traces...

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...

19 children Frederick II had had but his family was to be wiped out only a few years after his death. The enmity of the Pope is to blame or that – and an extremely effective opponent…

Around 400 AD the Roman Empire was shaken to the core. Britain’s governor claimed himself Roman Emperor, but found his only long-lasting success in the Welsh mythology. By examining 12 coins we are going to stroll through Great Britain’s history – this is part 1...

An ancient cameo vase has recently appeared on the market. It does not only captivate by its beauty. It resembles another famous object, the Portland Vase whose interpretation had been controversially debated for a long time. But a closer look at the “new finding” permits a deeper understanding of the Portland Vase as well.

During the 16th century, cathedral chapters were fiercely contested between the Catholics and Protestants. The 1592 bishop election of Strasbourg illustrates this sectarian conflict especially well by reference to several siege klippes.