Anselmo Banduri: Researcher on the Coinage of Late Antiquity
In 1702, the Benedictine monk Anselmo Banduri published a monumental work on the coinage of late antiquity. His work has been fundamental for further research. Now a specimen is being offered at an auction of Münzen & Medaillen GmbH.
Politics, Religion and Divine Retribution: The Failed Ambitions of William II of Orange
In its anniversary auction sale 350, Künker offers a medal by Sebastian Dadler, which deals with the failed ambitions of the Stadtholder of the Netherlands: he would have liked for the Eighty Years’ War to go on for a bit longer.
Finally – Or: Duke Augustus Celebrates His Birthday
Lösers were more than representative coins. They played an essential role in court ceremonials that took place on special occasions. The löser rarities of the Friedrich Popken Collection, which will be auctioned off at Künker on 29 June 2021, illustrate this function.
What Are Mining Issues? Mining Prior to the Industrial Revolution
If you mint coins, you need metal. The minting techniques employed for this were technical breakthroughs and closely linked to advances in engineering. So-called mining issues bear witness to this. Wilhelm Müseler tells their story.
Akbar – Ruler of the Mughal Empire Part 2
Akbar ruled over an empire on the Indian subcontinent. Administering it was a daunting task, and Akbar introduced loads of reforms. Read on to find out how the outstanding skills of his mathematicians helped him, and what this has to do with his coinage!
Akbar – Ruler of the Mughal Empire Part 1
The Muslim Akbar founded a world empire in which people of different religions lived together peacefully. How did this come about and what challenges did the ruler have to overcome to get there? And, most importantly: what can coins tell us about it?
The Markstetten Coin Hoard: Witness to a Political Thriller in the High Middle Ages
On 18 June 2017, a coin hoard was discovered near Markstetten. It was probably buried around 1230 and is reminiscent of a dispute over the Regensburg episcopal see. Auction house Künker offers the entire hoard for sale on 25 March 2021.
Joachim I: The Power-Conscious Elector Who Minted the First Brandenburg Taler
We are back in 1521: Luther stands in Worms and can do no other and the elector of Brandenburg mints the first talers of Brandenburg history. 500 years after it was minted, Künker offers one specimen of the extremely rare talers. We tell its story.
How Do We Even Know When The Battle at Marathon Took Place?
On 22nd March 2021, Künker will be auctioning off an extensive collection of coins of Roman Alexandria. Among them are 14 specimens of the zodiac series of Antoninus Pius. These pieces tell us something about how we know when events took place in ancient history.
A Numismatist’s Guide to Money Part 4: Mitchell-Innes and the Credit Theory of Money
In the fourth part of this series, Simon Bytheway examines the works of Alfred Mitchell-Innes – a pioneer in the development of the Credit Theory of Money – to find out what his writing tells us about monetary theories, and the wider socio-economic meaning of money.