Alexander of Abonuteichos – a lesson from Asia Minor about gullibility in the 2nd cent. A. D.
You are one of those people who believe than there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy? Well, you are in accordance with a deep-seated tradition and can appeal to the fact that already in antiquity there were people who thought the same as you. ..
Human Faces Part 4: Philip II as Hegemon of Greece
Why is it that for centuries – or rather thousands of years – the head has served as the motif for the side of a coin? And why has this changed in the last 200 years? Ursula Kampmann poses these questions in her book ‘MenschenGesichter,’ from which the texts for our new series are taken.
A Weight from the Empire of the Seleucids
A huge elephant is depicted on the weight that was auctioned off on 18th December 2013 in auction sale Gorny & Mosch 218 – Ancient Art. It is of interest not just to the art lover but to everyone concerned with ancient metrology. After all, both the shekel and the drachm is based on the mine, i.e. the unit represented by this weight.
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.
The mints of San Francisco Part 1: The Old Mint
Join us on our trip to the “Old Mint” of San Francisco. Old and new photos give an insight into the minting as it was done in The Granite Lady.
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.
Reformation jubilees – a journey through the centuries
Künker will auction a major collection of coins and medals related to the Reformation on September 27, 2017. Using this material, this article shows the extent to which politics of the past centuries used Luther and the Reformation jubilee for their own purposes.
Medieval Sicily Part 3: Arab Influence
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.
The Rue Mouffetard treasure
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...
The Delian League and the Athenian Money
In 479 BC the Greeks defeated the Persians at Plataiai. At that time nobody dared to hope that the fight was so soon to end. On the contrary, every Greek city was afraid of the Persian king, who had vast resources at his disposal. He was feared to raise another army in order to conquer the whole of Greece. Something had to be done to prevent that.