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 19: The Saint of the Heathens
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? This chapter of the series ‘Human Faces’ looks at why Julian was nicknamed ‘The Apostate’.
The Thirty Years’ War – Part 4
Both religion and power were the focal points of the Thirty Years’ War that shook the whole of Europe during the 17th century. Ursula Kampmann brings that era alive. Today you will read how war-related events moved from Bohemia to the Rhine.
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!
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.
Sicilian Mosaic Part 7: The coinage of Himera and Acragas
Do you know the coins from Himera with the crab of Acragas on the reverse? More about the coinage of these two cities and the historical background of this particular reverse motif can be found here.
Wolrab’s medal on the military relief of Vienna
In 1683, Johann Jacob Wolrab created one of the most beautiful medals showing the relief of Vienna, which marked the end of the second Ottoman siege. Incredibly rich in details, this strike depicts the dramatic battle at Kahlenberg Mountain.
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.