The Thirty Years’ War – Part 7 (1623-1625)
Religion was of secondary importance in the Thirty Years’ War. It was all about power and money. Ursula Kampmann brings that era alive. Today you will read about the downfall of the Palatinate Winter King, about the rise of the mad Halberstadter and the intervention of the Danish king.
The Thirty Years’ War – Part 14 (1634-1635)
Religion was of secondary importance in the Thirty Years’ War. It was all about power and money. Ursula Kampmann brings that era alive. Despite the deaths of the Winter King, Gustavus Adolphus and Wallenstein, the war went on as if nothing had happened.
George Gustav of Pfalz-Veldenz
On February 4th, 2016, Künker Auction House, during its Berlin auction, will offer an extensive series of pre-1871 German rarities. Among them, there will be an extremely rare taler of the count of Veldenz.
The die cutting czarina
“Made by Maria” can be read in Russian on the reverse of a medal, which will be auctioned off on June 21st, 2016 at Künker. It is remarkable, that a woman created these dies, and the story gets even more interesting, knowing that this die cutter was a Russian czarina.
Medieval Sicily Part 8: Rome, acclaimed and plundered
Pope Gregory VII had to watch helplessly as Henry entered Rome and was crowned emperor. Admittedly, the Norman Robert Guiscard came to his aid, but that almost made things worse.
Egypt and Alexandria. A brief numismatic survey: part V
Join us on our trip through the history of Egypt and its capital Alexandria by its coinage. In the final episode you become a witness to the revolt of Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, and Alexandria’s transition into late antique times.
A prestigious cityscape
Numismatica Genevensis will auction off a 20 ducat piece of the city of Basel with a gorgeous cityscape on November 25, 2014. The estimate amounting to 500,000 Swiss francs is likewise remarkable. There is a good chance that this coin becomes the world’s most expensive Swiss coin.
Human faces, part 34: A “terrible” Pope
Why does this coin feature both the Pope and the trademark of an influential merchant family? This coin, portraying Julius II and the Fugger family business, illustrates that economy and religion always have and always will go hand in hand.
Human faces, part 39: The price of power
Possessing colonies with vast resources of silver, Spanish king Philip II could have helped his kingdom to enormous economic prosperity. But even the largest treasure of silver could not realise Philip’s power-hungry fantasy of proselytizing half of Europe.
Human faces, part 45: The birth of liberty
Why was the human head the motif on coins for centuries, no, for millennia? And why did that change in the last 200 years? Today we will talk about the aftermath of the French Revolution and the beginning of a reign of terror …