This is how coins with polymer ring are made: a visit to the Karlsruhe Mint
On April 14, 2016, the 5 euro coins “Planet Earth” will be released. The number of orders exceeds the mintage. For all those who came away empty-handed we have a view inside the Karlsruhe Mint where a portion of the mintage was produced.
Why a State Mints Coins
Why did states start to mint their own coins? And why does the control of the monetary system belong to the most important governmental tasks? Here you will find an insight how this happened.
Numismatic miniatures from the North: Part 4 – Treasure Island. Treasures, treasures and even more treasures
More than 700 treasure cases with around 180,000 coins have been discovered on the island of Gotland. The trader-peasants buried the earnings from their adventurous travels in the ground, where they were found by their descendants.
Human faces, part 24: The woman in charge of Zurich
Why is it that for centuries – or rather thousands of years – the head has served as the motif for the side of a coin? That whoever was holding the office of the abbess at the Fraumünster in Zurich in the Middle Ages was in an immensely powerful position is remembered on today’s coin.
How Malta Came under the British Flag
On March 12, 2015, the auction house Künker auctions off an unusually rare testimony of the Maltese history. The small silver ingot in the weight of 30 tari from 1800 is the last currency produced on Malta.
The Thirty Years’ War – Part 10 (1630-1631)
Religion was of secondary importance in the Thirty Years’ War. It was all about power and money. Ursula Kampmann brings that era alive. This episode focuses on Magdeburg.
Slave trade, gold, and sugar: The Elector of Brandenburg as entrepreneur
A medal, minted on behalf of the great Elector Frederick William of Brandenburg himself, remembers the means that were devised to fuel the realm’s economy. This piece will be offered on sale in London on 30 October 2015 being part of the former Preussag collection.
Sicilian Mosaic Part 2: Dankle-Messana and Rhegion
Similar pictures shown on Greek coins from various cities may have to do something with a city adopting the coin imagery from its mother city. Here you will find information about the numismatic history of Dankle-Messana and Rhegion of Archaic times.
War is the father of all things. A short history of the art of besiegement: Part 2
A lot of stories can be told based on numismatic objects. The history of besiegement is one of them and thus, in memory of collector Georg Baums, we will concern ourselves with it and observe how fortresses on medals change over time.
Human faces, part 25: The Saint of Halberstadt
Why was the human head the motif on coins for centuries, no, for millennia? And why did that change in the last 200 years? This episode’s coin features the head of Saint Stephen, who once saved the Bishopric of Halberstadt from its liquidation.