The True Draft of the First Commemorative Coin of the Federal Republic of Germany
On June 25, 2015, Künker auctions a sensation of post-WWII German numismatics: a pattern for the rejected draft by Karl Roth for the first German commemorative coin ‘Germanisches Museum’ (‘Germanic Museum’). Until now, a plaster cast model was the only known testimony!
Blood money
Blodsklippingar or blood klippe is the Swedish numismatic term for coins that tell the story of one of the darkest periods of Swedish history: the drama of fraternal feud and a revolt, of great love and courageous women, of insanity, passion and lust for power… but see for yourself.
The Battle of Poltava
On February 4th, 2016, Auction House Künker will offer a gold medal, commemorating, what probably is, the most important military success of Peter the Great: his victory at the Battle of Poltava, which changed the course of the Great Nordic War.
Sicilian Mosaic Part 6: The Carthaginians attack
The following part centers on the first big battle of the Greeks against the Carthaginians and the victor: Gelon. But his victory didn’t bode well for a lot of inhabitants of Sicily: They were forced to leave their ancestral home.
The Casa Savoia – A Noble Family between Italy, France, and Switzerland Part 3
Auction house Gadoury will auction off an extensive collection Casa Savoia originating from the possessions of a gentleman of the royal family. In the last part of this series you will learn how the Savoyard kings of Sardinia became the kings of the newly established state of Italy.
Human Faces Part 22: The boy from Apulia
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? In this episode, Frederick II proves that the sword is not the only way to gain a throne.
The First Gold Coins of the United States
Carolina, Georgia, California – many people were attracted to set out for the unknown by the prospect of an easy yield in the gold fields. That makes the gold rush one of the foundation myths of the United States of America. In the Berlin auction Künker offers a range of numismatic testimonies to this eventful era.
The Coin that was meant to be paper money: The “Wiener Stadtbancozettel Teilungsmünze”
There is a special coin among the lots offered at the Auction 42 of the Münzen & Medaillen GmbH: It’s a so called Wiener Stadtbancozettel Teilungsmünze, coined in 1807. The name sounds quite strange: What does it mean?
The Thirty Years’ War – Part 16 (1636-1640)
Religion was of secondary importance in the Thirty Years’ War. It was all about power and money. Ursula Kampmann brings that era alive. The war performs another volte-face: now, it is the Protestants’ move.
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.