Alexander Farnese – The man who almost kept the Netherlands in Spanish governance
When talking about the Eighty Years’ War, one usually encounters names such as Egmont, the Duke of Alba and the Prince of Orange. Alexander Farnese, however, who almost preserved Spanish rule over the Netherlands, is less known. We are telling his story by means of coins of the Geneart collection which will be auctioned off at Künker on June 18, 2018.
Christians fight against Christians with the assistance of the Turks
It is an unspectacular coin, that testimony of the culminating conflict between France and Spain, between Francis I and Charles V. ...
Leyden suffering – a siege during the Dutch War of Independence
Few wars have appealed to people’s emotions like the Dutch War of Independence. The roles seemed to be assigned all too clearly: on the one side there were the evil Catholic Spaniards, on the other the good Protestant Dutchmen. What we omit, however, is that this war was one the first in which propaganda was utilized in full awareness of its effects.
From Pavia to the Sack of Rome – siege coins in Italy
Why was it that Renaissance rulers went to Italy to seek good fortune? Why was it that thousands of ducats and thaler were spent on mercenary soldiers? This article gives an insight into the war between Francis I of France and Charles V of Italy...
Between East and West or: the first Western coins of China
The first Chinese coins imitating western models were struck on the island of Formosa, modern-day Taiwan, nearly 200 years before. This article will tell the story, how it came about...
The Order of the Golden Fleece
Countless coins from the Holy Roman Empire show something many catalogs briefly address as “neck chain” of the Order of the Golden Fleece. This article will explain, when and where this chivalric order originated and why it became the most important order of knights all over the Old World...
The history of South America told by coins from the Lissner Collection
The numismatic history of South America is as fascinating as its political turmoils between the Spanish Conquista and the fight for independence. The Lissner Collection has gathered innumerous numismatic gems and thus illustrates perfectly this intriguing history.
Human faces, part 48: Simón Bolívar, South America’s heroic freedom fighter
Why was the human head the motif on coins for centuries, no, for millennia? And why did that change in the last 200 years? In this episode: Why Bolivia is called Bolivia.
The Battle of Lepanto
The famous battle of Lepanto, the great victory of Christianity over the Turks, has been celebrated as one of the major events of world history, even though it did not change the course of history. Find more information on its significance and its representation on a Papal bronze medal...
The Design of the Circulation Euro Coins: Spain – 1, 2 and 5 Cent – Santiago de Compostela
The euro coins are a splendid means for all countries in the eurozone to convey their own self-conception. What does the pilgrimage to St. James mean to Spain? And what role did the Way of St. James play for European Christians of medieval times? Here you get the backdrop of the design of the Spanish 1, 2 and 5 cent coins.