Künker Exklusiv Edition 05/2023

Exklusiv

NEWS FROM THE AUCTION AND GOLD MARKET In this Issue

Dear Customers and Coin Enthusiasts,

A

s usual, the latest issue of our Künker Exklusiv is brought to you shortly before our upcoming auction.

We are pleased to once again provide you with background information on the auction programme, and to present some news from the House of Künker.

But first to the upcoming auction: We will begin with the orders, decorations and medals from nobility and private collections (Auction 395) on Monday, 13 November 2023.

Our phaleristic expert Michael Autengruber has once again succeeded in compiling a catalogue of high-quality pieces.

The wonderfully-designed catalogue contains all kinds of background information on the diverse selection as well as the items’ original recipients, as far as they are known. We would like to particularly emphasise our cooperation with Philipp Württemberg Art Advisory GmbH, which enables us to offer you items from the estate of the Silesian line of the House of Württemberg, and orders, decorations and medals from other European noble houses. The catalogue not only presents the history of the House of Carlsruhe in Silesia, but also goes into the biographies of individual representatives with their military careers and lists the orders and decorations awarded to them.

Via the daughter of the Bulgarian Tsar Ferdinand I, Nadejda, some highly interesting pieces from that country have come to this auction. Among them is the title piece of our auction, a gold medal of 110 ducats once in the possession of Tsar Ferdinand I. Read more about this great rarity on pages 6 through 8.

Following the medals, we will continue the auction on Monday, 13 November, at around 3 pm with Catalogue 396 and the coins of the ancient world. We will begin with the seventh part of the collection of Dr W.R. This segment presents coins featuring important personalities of the Roman Empire. Part Eight of this most interesting collection starts on Tuesday morning, 14 November, and contains imperatorial coinage and coins of the Julian-Claudian imperial house; Prof. Johannes Nollé takes a closer look at this extraordinary collection of ancient portrait

Edition 05/2023

coins on pages 16 through 18 of this issue. Catalogue 397, which will be auctioned on Tuesday and Wednesday 13 and 14 November, contains more than 1,100 coins from the ancient world. They include the highly noteworthy collection of the Cologne attorney Dr Kurt Conzen, as well as ancient gold coins from the collection of the Luxembourg notary Maître Robert Schuman, already known to many of you from our autumn auction.

Künker becomes official partner of Myntauktioner i Sverige AB, Sweden’s leading numismatic auction house

Beginning on Friday, 17 November 2023, we will move Auctions 398 and 399 to our virtual auction room at www.elive-auction. de – and we’ll offer you, with two eLive Premium Auctions, an assortment of around 1,100 coins and medals from all over the world, and also the numismatic library of the Munich coin dealer Alois Wenninger.

Calendar 2023/24

As you know, a close relationship with our customers has always been a special concern for us. That’s why we are pleased to be able to present you with another cooperative project: We are now an official partner of the well-known Stockholm auction house Myntauktioner i Sverige AB. Read more about the interesting history of that auction house, and our new cooperative relationship, on pages 12 and 13.

We’re pleased that you like our new series in which we present international centres of numismatics. The feedback we have received has been overwhelmingly positive, so we are continuing the series in this issue with the presentation of another important coin cabinet. On pages 14 and 15 we take you to Basel, Switzerland and the oldest publicly accessible coin collection that can be visited today. There we will get to know perhaps the most famous humanist of all, and his circle of friends.

In addition, we will once again give you some insight into our day-to-day business and introduce you to our auction logistics process, which ensures that your auctioned objects arrive safe and sound at your home following their purchase.

Finally, we want to draw your attention to our upcoming eLive Auction 80, which will include another selection of orders and decorations, and some 3,000 coins and medals from all over the world, from 4 through 8 December. We hope you may find one or two pieces which are right for your collection. For now, we hope you enjoy reading this latest issue, and we hope to see you in person again soon.

Best Wishes from Osnabrück,

Dr Andreas Kaiser

Winter AuctionSales 395-397

Auction 395 Orders, Decorations and Medals from Royal and Private Collections

13 November 2023

Auction 396 13/14 November 2023 The Dr W. R. Collection, Part 7 – Important personalities in the Roman territories from the Civil Wars of the Late Roman Republic to the Beginning of the Roman Empire & Part 8 – Coins of the Roman Imperators and the Julio-Claudian Dynasty Auction 397 14/15 November 2023 Coins of the Ancient World, including the collection of Dr. Kurt Conzen, Cologne, and Ancient Gold Coins from the Collection of the Luxembourg Notary Maître Robert Schuman eLive Premium Auction 398 Gold and Silver Coins from the Medieval and Modern Times, including „Multiple Portraits“ from a Westphalian Private Collection

17 November 2023

eLive Premium Auction 399 The Library of the Numismatist Alois Wenninger

18 November 2023

eLive Auction 80

4-8 December 2023

New York International Convention

11-14 January 2024

Berlin Auction Sale 400

1 February 2024

World Money Fair Berlin

2-4 February 2024

Numismata Munich Dr Andreas Kaiser

13-15 November 2023

2-3 March 2024

Ulrich Künker

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KÜNKER Exklusiv

Coins from the Ancient World and Orders – our Auction Sales 395-397 in November 2023 Ancient Roman coins for connoisseurs with a deep interest in about Roman history, plus a cross-section of other coins from the ancient world including numerous gold coins, and spectacular orders and decorations with great provenances: Tis is the focus of our Auction Sales in November.

O

rders and medals from the Silesian line of the House of Württemberg and a spectacular private collection of Prussian orders and decorations – that’s what phaleristic enthusiastswill find in the Auction Sale 395 on 13 November, 2023 . Friends of ancient issues can look forward to 1st-century Roman Republican coinage as well as early imperial issues, from the Dr W. R. collection. In Parts Seven and Eight, the focus is on great rarities of the Roman imperators and provincial Roman coinage (Auction 396). Auction 397 follows with a wide scope of ancient coins, including pieces from the collection of Dr Kurt Conzen and gold coins from the collection of the Luxembourg notary Maître Robert Schuman.

Auction 396 – The Dr W. R. Collection, Parts Seven and Eight Two further parts of the Dr W. R. Collection will be offered in our Auction 396 on 13 and 14 November 2023 in Osnabrück. The sale starts with a spectacular series of Roman provincial coinage with the names of Roman officials. (Part Seven). As these coins are of great scientific importance, Prof. Johannes Nollé comments on them here for Künker Exclusiv in detail. Those interested in more than the frequently-offered Roman emperors will meet Roman officials such as Proconsul Q. Hortensius Hortalus and the Proconsul M. Tullius Cicero, both sons of much better-known politicians, or the Roman ‘self-made man’ Vedius Pollio. But prominent personalities like Publius Quinctilius Varus and the Praefect of Judaea, Pontius Pilate, are also on offer.

Part Eight of the Dr W. R. collection offers a perfect opportunity for all those who want to add to their collections some coins of the imperators, and especially of the relatives of the Twelve Caesars. The ensemble includes eleven coins of the family of Pompey, namely of all three politically active members: Pompey Magnus and his two sons. 17 coins related to Caesar are on offer as well as the issues of his assassins, including a denarius with the extremely rare portrait of Brutus.

Lot 1017: Macedonia.

Bronze coin, before the death of Caesar(?), Dion or Cassandreia.

Vs. Head of Q. Hortensius Hortalus. Rv. Yoke, plough and scale with vexillum.

Very rare. Very fine.

Estimate: 1,500 euros

Quintus Hortensius Hortalus was the son of the famous orator of the same name, to whom Cicero dedicated a treatise. The younger Hortalus was a partisan of Caesar and was among the first to cross the Rubicon. For his efforts he was rewarded with the governorship of the province of Macedonia – but after Caesar’s death, Octavian and Marcus Antonius planned to take it from him. Hortalus then joined the assassins of Caesar, thus retaining the title of proconsul while Brutus exercised de facto power. But Hortalus had backed the wrong horse: After the defeat of Caesar’s murderers at the battle of Philippi, Hortalus was also executed.

Lot 1112: Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio and Marcus Eppius.

Denarius, 47/6, minted in Africa. Extremely fine.

Estimate: 1,000 euros

Lot 1124: C. Iulius Caesar. Denarius, 44 BC.

Are you interested in looking for a portrait of the early deceased grandsons of Augustus, both of whom died at a young age?

Auction 396 offers many pieces to choose from, in addition to coins from the notorious sisters of Caligula, Drusilla and Livilla. Or would you like a portrait of Britannicus, the early deceased son of Claudius who should have come to power instead of Nero?

The Dr. W. R. Collection contains as many as five pieces with his portrait. And it should also be mentioned that, in addition, there are interesting denarii and bronze issues on offer, including some aurei of the classic

Very rare. About extremely fine.

Lucius Aelius Seianus was Praetorian Prefect under Tiberius, who had retired to the island of Capri. Due to the emperor’s absence, Seianus effectively became the most powerful man in Rome. In 31 AD he was overthrown. Whether he actually wanted Caligula killed and coveted the imperial throne for himself is something of which we can no longer be certain today, as the sources are too biased to allow a correct assessment of the situation. In any case, Seianus was subject to damnatio memoriae after his death, which is why his name was also erased from coins. This is not the case on this piece, however.

Estimate: 3,000 euros

Lot 1134: Marcus Iunius Brutus and L. Servius Rufus.

Lot 1332: Caligula and Drusilla. Miletus (Ionia).

Denarius, 43 AD. Very rare. Very fine.

Bronze coin, after 38 AD. Very rare. Extremely fine.

Estimate: 4,000 euros

Estimate: 1,250 euros

Lot 1143: Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus.

Denarius, 41 BC, undetermined. Mint.

Lot 1013: Achulla / Africa Propria (today’s Tunisia).

From auction Sternberg XVIII (1986), No. 374. Rare. Extremely fine.

Bronze coin, 8/7 BC. Obv. Portraits of Augustus with Gaius and Lucius.

Estimate: 6,000 euros

Lot 1368: Claudius with Britannicus, Claudia and Claudia Octavia.

Extremely rare. About fine.

Patras (Peloponnese). Bronze coin, c. 41-45 AD. Very rare. About extremely fine.

Estimate: 4,000 euros

Estimate: 2,500 euros

Achulla had gained the status of “free city” through its support of Rome in the Third Punic War. On their coins, the city fathers depicted not only the emperor but also Roman governors. One of them is Publius Quinctilius Varus, who became famous for his subsequent defeat in the Teutoburg Forest.

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Lot 1292: Tiberius and L. Aelius Seianus. As, 31 AD, Bilbilis (Hispania).

From the Leo Benz Collection, auction Lanz 94 (1999), No. 162. About extremely

Lot 1400: Nero and Agrippina Iunior. Denarius, 54. Rare. Very fine.

fine. Estimate: 1,500 euros

Estimate: 1,000 euros

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Auction 397: Coins of the ancient world Auction 397 spans the entire spectrum of ancient numismatics.

In addition to many smaller collections, two very significant collections will be auctioned: the collection of the Cologne lawyer Dr Kurt Conzen and the collection of ancient gold coins of the Luxembourg notary Maître Robert Schuman. The auction will begin as usual with the Celtic coins, among which two staters of the Parisii particularly stand out (Lots 2018 and 2019), the first because of its beauty, the second because of its exceeding rarity. Among the Greek coinage, a small series of interesting southern Italian gold coins, some with excellent provenances, should be highlighted (Lots 2066, 2068, 2074, 2077), but Sicilian coinage from the period of the signatory artists should also be mentioned: for example, a signed decadrachm of Kimon (Lot 2120), a signed decadrachm of Euainetos (Lot 2121) and a probably unpublished tetradrachm from the collection of Dr Kurt Conzen (Lot 2122), which is quite notable for the period of the signatory artists. Further highlights among the Greek coins are the beautiful stater of Pantikapaion from the Jameson Collection (Lot 2155), a handsome stater of Lampsakos (Lot 2295), an interesting tetradrachm of Tryphon (Lot 2361), and the octodrachm of Arsinoe II in breathtaking quality from the Robert Schuman Collection (Lot 2406), illustrated in the standard work on Ptolemaic coins by Ioannis N. Svoronos.

Among the coins of the Roman Republic, an aureus of P. Clodius Turrinus (Lot 2475) is prominent; before the coins of the imperial period, two very special objects associated with Pauline Bonaparte, Napoleon Bonaparte’s favourite sister, will be auctioned: a magnificent necklace set with 14 Roman aurei (Lot 2505) and a beautiful bracelet set with seven aurei (Lot 2506). Among the coins of the Roman Imperial period there are numerous fascinating and beautiful coins. Here are just a few very special highlights: a rare aureus of Galba (Lot 2586); an aureus of Pertinax with excellent provenance from the Robert Schuman Collection; from the H. Osborne O’Hagan Collection (Lot 2750), a splendid aureus of Macrinus (Lot 2784); a fantastically-preserved double sestertius of Aurelianus (Lot 2861); a festive aureus of Constantinus I (Lot 2910), and others.

Fig. left: Nicolette Schulman with the gold necklace, June 1966.

Lot 2505: Coin jewellery associated with Pauline Bonaparte, sister of Napoleon I. Golden necklace made of two braided gold cords, with alternating triangular ornaments and 14 set Roman aurei.

Estimate: 100,000 euros

Lot 2750: Pertinax, 193.

Aureus. Very rare. From the Maître Schuman Collection.

From the H. Osborne O’Hagan Collection, Sotheby Auction, Wilkinson & Hodge (1908), Lot 493. Very rare. Very fine.

Estimate: 15,000 euros Lot 2295: Lampsakos (Mysia).

Electronstater circa 450 BC. Rare.

From Vinchon auction, Monte Carlo 1975, Lot 104.

Very fine.

Estimate: 30,000 euros Lot 2784: Macrinus, 217-218.

Aureus, March / June 218 AD. Very rare.

From the Leo Biaggi de Blasys 1262 Collection. FDC. Estimate: 125,000 euros

Although there are only a few coins of the “barbarian invasions” or “migration of nations” (Lots 3021-3028), some of them are highly compelling and extraordinarily rare coinages, such as the quite affordable (estimated price 1,000 euros) and superblypreserved Visigothic solidus in the name of Valentinianus III, from the Robert Schuman collection. After an attractive series of Byzantine coinage – and here the extremely rare and historically interesting solidus of Artavasdus and Nicephorus (Lot 3084) should be mentioned – follow a coinage of the Crusaders (Knights of St. John on Rhodes, Zecchine of Antonius Fluvianus, Lot 3138) and some interesting Oriental coinage (among them the last number of the catalogue, an interesting dirhem of the famous Mongol ruler Genghis Khan, Lot 3143).

Lot 2361: Tryphon, 141-138 BC. (Syria).

Tetradrachm, Antioch. Very rare. Extremely fine.

Estimate: 12,500 euros

Lot 2910: Constantine I, 306-337.

Medallion of 1 1/4 solidi (festive aureus, 335, Thessalonica.

Very rare. From the Maître Schuman Collection. About extremely fine.

Estimate: 20,000 euros

Lot 2406: Arsinoe II (Egypt).

Octodrachm, Alexandria. From the Maître Schuman Collection.

Lot 2912: Crispus.

Extremely fine to FDC.

Solidus, 324, Nicomedia. Extremely rare.

Estimate: 15,000 euros

From the Maître Schuman Collection. Extremely fine.

Estimate: 10,000 euros

Lot 2018: Parisii (Celts).

Lot 2475: P. Clodius Turrinus (Roman Republic).

Gold stater, circa 60 BC.

Aureus, 42 BC. From the Maître Schuman Collection.

Lot 3077: Iustinian II, second reign 705-711.

Very rare. Very fine.

Rare. Very fine + / Extremely fine.

Solidus, 705, Constantinopolis. Very rare.

Estimate: 12,500 euros

Estimate: 15,000 euros

From the Maître Schuman Collection. Extremely fine to FDC. Estimate: 2,000 euros

Lot 2155: Panticapaeum (Scythia).

Lot 2586: Galba, 68-69 AD.

Gold stater, 340-325 BC. Rare. From the Jameson Collection 2145.

Aureus. Very rare. From the Maître Schuman collection.

Lot 3084: Artavasdus, 742-744, and Nikephoros.

About extremely fine / Very fine.

Very fine.

Solidus, Constantinopolis. Extremely rare. Very fine.

Estimate: 60,000 euros

Estimate: 15,000 euros

Estimate: 20,000 euros

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KÜNKER Exklusiv Orders, decorations and medals from nobility and private collections On 13 November we start our Auction Sale 395 with an important collection of Prussian orders and decorations from the Rhineland. There are a total of 287 lots, among them numerous extremely rare objects, some of which have not been seen on the market for decades.

The focus is on the Prussian Red Eagle Order before 1918. Under the expert guidance of the doyen of Prussian phaleristics, Dr Peter Sauerwald (1936-2022), the collector built up a systematic collection of this award. The large number of award certificates represented in the collection, in some cases quite rare, is also remarkable.

The second part of the auction consists of the estate of the Silesian line of the ducal House of Württemberg. We are very pleased to be able to present this important estate through our cooperation with Philipp Württemberg Art Advisory GmbH. Due to wartime flight and expulsion, the pieces were almost forgotten and only recently came to light again in the course of research by Philipp Württemberg Art Advisory GmbH.

of the Bulgarian Order “St. Alexander” in diamonds, and a neck decoration of the Austrian Order of the Golden Fleece. The title piece of the catalogue, an extremely rare Bulgarian gold medal of 110 ducats from the personal possession of Tsar Ferdinand I, also comes from this source (more on pages 6-8).

The third part of the auction offers an ensemble of orders and decorations from all over the world that were awarded to members of the French de Fauque de Jonquières family.

Particularly noteworthy here are the high Russian decorations such as the Nevsky and the White Eagle Orders, each with the original award certificates.

The fourth part of the auction contains orders and decorations from various possessions, with a focus on Old Germany.

But other countries are also prominently represented, e.g., extremely rare pieces from the Russian Empire and from Imperial China.

For catalogue orders, please contact our customer service at Tel: +49 (0)541 962020; Fax: +49 (0)541 9620222; or via e-mail: service@kuenker.de. You can also study the auction catalogues online at www.kuenker.de.

Unseen for almost a hundred years and distinguished by their seamless provenance, these pieces are coming to auction for the first time. Here are not only German orders, but above all Austrian and Bulgarian decorations, such as a Grand Cross set

Lot 25: Prussia.

Red Eagle Order. 1st model (so-called “Great Red Eagle Order” - 1792-1810).

Extremely rare. II. Estimate: 15,000 euros

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Lot 437: Russia.

Lot 16: Prussia.

Imperial Order of the Holy Apostle

Order “pour le mérite” (1740).

St. Andrew the First-Called.

Cross of the order in performance

Collar set. Very rare. I-II.

from 1917 to 1918. II.

Estimate: 150,000 euros

Estimate: 7,500 euros

Edition 05/2023

Lot 74: Prussia.

Order of the Red Eagle.

5th model (1854-1918).

Extremely rare. I-II. Estimate: 12,500 euros

Lot 295: Order of the Royal Württemberg Crown (1818).

From the estate of Field Marshal Albrecht Duke of Württemberg (1865-1939). II. Estimate: 3,000 euros

Lot 324: Bulgaria. Order of St. Alexander (1881).

From the estate of Eleonore, as of 1908 wife of Tsar Ferdinand I. II. Estimate: 20,000 euros

Lot 345: Austria.

Order of the Golden Fleece.

From the estate of August Duke of Sachsen-Coburg-Koháry (1818-1881).

Very rare. II-III. Estimate: 15,000 euros

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KÜNKER Exklusiv

Bulgaria, Prince Ferdinand I and the Railway Every 3rd of March, Bulgaria celebrates its bank holidays. On this day, Bulgarians remember that after the “April Uprising” of 1876, they became an autonomous principality through the Treaty of Berlin of 1878.

W

e can appreciate the historical background against which the medal offered in our forthcoming Auction 395 was created only if we remember that the Bulgarian government planned to bring the territory, long neglected by the Ottoman Empire’s central government, closer to Western and Central Europe. Bulgaria was to become an economically strong nation in order to secure its independence. And in all of these considerations, two issues were decisive: • How would Bulgaria succeed in gaining investors’ confidence?

• And how, with the help of investors’ money, could the infrastructural backlogs be made up as quickly as possible?

The Prince: A Glorified Symbol of the Bulgarian Nation We should keep in mind that the time of absolute monarchs was already long gone. The young nation of Bulgaria had given itself an extremely liberal constitution, and to this end sought a sovereign who would himself exert as little influence as possible on the government. At the same time, he was to be well enough anchored among the European high nobility and the Western economic elite to raise state bonds for Bulgaria.

Moreover, a potential candidate had to appeal to all the great powers of Europe. He had the task of maintaining a balance between France and Russia on the one hand, and the German and Habsburg Empires on the other. Each of them had its own agenda in the Balkans, as did Britain.

Alexander I of Battenberg had failed in this task. After his resignation, the Bulgarians gave the office to Ferdinand I of Saxe-Coburg-Kohary in 1887. Ferdinand was the youngest son of an Austrian general from the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and, through his father, was related by blood or marriage to almost all European ruling houses. His mother Clémentine of Orléans was the daughter of the French bourgeois king Louis Philippe, and brought to the equation not only great personal wealth, but also excellent connections to the French business world.

During the first years of his reign, Ferdinand I travelled repeatedly to the rich industrialised countries of Europe to promote Bulgaria’s cause. In doing so, he gained entry to the salons of the moneyed aristocracy in a most imaginative way.

A good example of this is the manner in which Ferdinand managed to establish personal contact with Friedrich Alfred Krupp in 1893. Krupp manufactured weapons, locomotives and railway carriages, and all were of great interest to a country that was investing in its infrastructure while building a modern military. In order to get an invitation from Herr Krupp, Ferdinand sent him one of the most important Bulgarian medals of honour. Naturally, he received a letter of thanks combined with an invitation to the Villa Hügel, which Ferdinand was only too happy to accept. He travelled there and brought the future Bulgarian Prime Minister with him, for a quiet and serious business discussion.

Whenever it became difficult to obtain loans, Ferdinand personally intervened in negotiations. He was supported by Georg von Siemens – one of the founding directors of the Deutsche Bank, which was particularly committed to investing in railway projects. It financed not only the Baghdad Railway, but also the Northern Pacific Railway and the Yambol-Burgas line in Bulgaria, upon completion of which this medal had been minted.

Ferdinand I travels to Russia in 1902 in his personal salon carriage.

Bulgarian State Archives 3K / / 476 / 16.

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Portrait of the youthful ruler upon taking office

Incidentally, Ferdinand I was also remunerated for his services.

He received 300,000 francs a year, and an additional 90,000 francs from Eastern Rumelia. This was more or less the sum the kings of Serbia and Greece collected for their services. After his marriage (and presumably also because it had become apparent how successful he was in attracting investors’ money abroad), the Bulgarian government increased his salary to 1.3 million francs annually.

Industrialisation and Railways Under the Ottomans, Bulgaria had been an agricultural nation whose well-being depended on the weather. If there was a bad harvest, the state budget process immediately became difficult.

Thus, after the two bad harvests of 1898/9, the government was forced to immediately reduce the salaries of ministry officials by 15 to 30%. To forestall resistance, Ferdinand at the same time voluntarily dismissed 50% of his civil list.

In such a tight financial situation, the government had no choice but to pay for the construction of the infrastructure through government bonds. The railway was the top priority, since it was of existential importance for transporting goods to and from Bulgaria.

The Orient Express

One detail illustrates how quickly and effectively the railway was built: When Ferdinand I travelled to Bulgaria in 1887 to be crowned in Sofia, he did so by coach, ship and horse, constantly in danger of being attacked by highwaymen. By the time his young wife arrived in Sofia in 1893, she was already taking the train.

The money would never have been raised without Ferdinand’s commitment. This became evident when it came to building the last section of the legendary Orient Express. On 1 November 1887, the Serbs had completed their section of the line. Now the route from Western Europe to Istanbul was interrupted only in Bulgaria.

One can also express this tremendous achievement in figures: When Ferdinand took office, the Bulgarian railway network covered 541.5 kilometres. When he stepped down, 1,683 kilometres of new railway had been built. With Ferdinand’s help, the Bulgarian government borrowed 328.6 million leva in government bonds for this purpose. The Bulgarian railway network with all of its facilities served as collateral for the investors.

The problem: When Ferdinand took office, Bulgaria was not considered a good credit risk. European financiers were reluctant to invest in a project they did not believe would be completed in any acceptable period of time. And this is where Ferdinand’s mother stepped in: She made one million francs available as a loan from her private fortune. Naturally, the entire business world then looked with great interest to Bulgaria, to see whether the state could repay its debts.

Edition 05/2023

Burgas Yambol

Advertising poster for the Orient Express, 1888.

Schematic of the railway network in Bulgaria [Схема на пътната мрежа в България] showing the state of planning in 1887. Photo: TrueNorth.bg

It did. The railway line was built in record time. On 19 June 1888, on the occasion of Ferdinand’s first Throne Jubilee, he was able to open the line internally. On 9 July of the same year, a train from the Compagnie Internationale des WagonLits ran on the new line to test it. And beginning on 12 August 1888, the Orient Express ran continuously between Paris and Istanbul. The Bulgarian State Railways received its share of ticket sales money and was able to repay the loan including the high interest rates.

This broke the ice, and when Bulgaria issued a large government bond in 1889, it was oversubscribed sixfold. Bulgaria offered the highest interest rates in Europe at the time.

The railway line from Yambol to Burgas The railway line from Yambol to Burgas was not yet financed with this capital, but that too was accomplished, with the help of the Deutsche Bank in cooperation with the Wiener Bankverein. The law authorising the construction of this railway line was passed on 21 January 1889. The line was to connect fertile western Bulgaria with the important Black Sea port of Burgas. Bulgaria hoped that this stretch of railway would provide better access to the European market for its grain.

The first sod was turned on 1 May 1889. The 110 km-long railway line was built in a record construction time of just over a year by Bulgarian “Pioneer and Engineer Troops”, and with the help of labour from the local population. Thus it could be ceremonially opened on 14 May 1890.

The Bulgarian government’s calculation was successful. Only a few years later it became clear that the port of Burgas would have to be expanded in order to ship even more tobacco and grain across the Black Sea. In 1898, the Bulgarian People’s Assembly decided to expand the port at a cost of 20 million leva.

A medal “For the construction of the railway line from Yambol to Burgas”.

To return to the railway line from Yambol to Burgas: On the occasion of its completion, the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance,

by Ukas No. 76 of 14 May 1890 (published in the State Gazette [Държавен вестник] No. 110 of 25 May 1890) created the

Lot 323: Bulgaria.

Large gold medal on the construction of the railway line between Yambol and Burgas.

14 May 1890. Only known example.

Owned by Tsar Ferdinand I. Estimate: 50,000 euros

medal “For the construction of the railway line from Yambol to Burgas” [Медал “За Построяване Железопътната Линия Ямбол – Бургас”].

The medal exists in three sizes: diameter 90 mm, non-wearable, in gold; diameter 50 mm, non-wearable, in bronze gilt, in silver and in bronze; and diameter 30 mm, wearable, in silver and in bronze. The designs were by Joseph Christian Christlbauer (1827-1897); the dies were cut by Johann Schwerdtner in Vienna, where the minting was also done.

According to Pavlov (in PA p. 248) and Petrov (in PE5 p. 176 f.), only one medal with a diameter of 90 (de facto 89.6) mm was initially minted, probably in 986/000 gold to 110 ducats, with a total weight of 383.2 g, and was awarded to Prince Ferdinand I in a bordeaux-coloured octagonal velvet case.

On the obverse is the portrait of Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria facing right, with the circumscription ФЕРДИНАНД IИЙ КНЯЗЬ НА БЪЛГАРЯ [Ferdinand I Prince of Bulgaria], below the neck section the die-cutter’s signature “J. SCHWERDTNER”, and on

A steam locomotive of this type (shown: the No. 148 in the National Museum of Transport [Национален музей на транспорта] at Ruse [Русе] in northern Bulgaria) served as a model for the reverse depiction on the medal.

Photo: Национален музей на транспорта, Русе, Bulgaria.

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KÜNKER Exklusiv Caricature from 1908 playing on Ferdinand’s enthusiasm for railways: Ferdinand enthroned on a locomotive. It is pulled by the Prime Minister, who leads Ferdinand by the nose. Ivan Geshov, another Bulgarian politician, pushes from behind while the Berlin Treaty personified goes under the wheels. In the background, exuberant Bulgarians cheer this trip to Constantinople. The cartoon refers to the fact that Bulgaria asserted its independence in 1908 and elevated Ferdinand I to Tsar.

Rising exports and flourishing trade True or not: It’s difficult to judge. What is certain, however, is that the railways brought an enormous boost to Bulgaria’s development. On the Orient Express line, machinery purchased in Western and Central Europe came into the country – duty-free and at reduced freight rates.

Conversely, the Yambol-Burgas railway line brought the crops of western Bulgaria to the Black Sea, whence they were shipped to Europe. The export of grain and grain products to Germany increased from a volume of 7,900 leva in 1891 to 11,380,000 leva in 1912.

The “Prussians of the Balkans”

the reverse a steam locomotive crossing a bridge – probably over the river Tundscha [Тунджа] near Yambol, with the circumscription ЯМБОЛЪ - БУРГАСЪ * 14 МАЙ 1890 * [YambolBurgas * 14 Мai 1890 *]. The design of the steam locomotive was likely modelled on the type of which an example, No. 148, is exhibited today in the Bulgarian Railway Museum in Russe [Русе], northern Bulgaria.

Ferdinand I also succeeded in improving Bulgaria’s image in Western Europe. Otto von Bismarck liked to call the Bulgarians the “Prussians of the Balkans”, and for him this was high praise. And as early as 1890, he paid the Bulgarian nation a great compliment: “From all that can be seen and observed among the Balkan states, the Bulgarians seem to me to harbour a talent for state-building and state-maintenance. And they are an efficient, industrious and thrifty people, who pay homage to slow, deliberate progress. It honours, improves and strengthens them, and that pleases me ...”

After the death of Ferdinand I on 10 September 1948, the medal passed by inheritance to his youngest daughter Nadejda, Princess of Bulgaria (30 January 1899 - 15 February 1958), who was married to Albrecht Eugen Duke of Württemberg (8 January 1895 - 24 June 1954), and after her death it went to her heirs.

According to Pavlov (in PA p. 248) and Petrov (in PE5 p. 176 f.), a second “Great Gold Medal”, identical in diameter, was given to Prince Ferdinand’s mother Clementine at his request, as a token of appreciation for her great idealistic and material support in the development of the Bulgarian railway. However, this medal is considered lost.

Künker is proud to be able to offer this great rarity in its Auction 395. The piece offers testimony to the personal commitment and enthusiasm with which Ferdinand I championed the development of his country by means of the railway.

Key figures on the Bulgarian economy.

to tease the reception committees at the railway stations.

They gathered, of course, where his private parlour car was scheduled to stop. But instead of waving courteously from the saloon car, as expected, the Prince is said to have jumped off the locomotive in his railway smock, his face smeared with soot and his hands dirty.

The Railway Tsar This enthusiasm, which seems slightly out of place in a ruler, is responsible for the many anecdotes that circulate about Ferdinand I and his love of locomotives. The accuracy of these stories cannot be vouched for, but some of them are too good not to be told.

In any case, we can believe that the intelligent and technologyloving prince knew a lot about the subject. He probably personally decided which type of locomotive to buy when his mother donated the traction engines for the railway line between Vakarel and Zaribrod.

Ferdinand almost always visited factories during his travels, and is said to have amazed the local technicians with his extensive knowledge. Of course, Ferdinand often travelled by train, but he is also said to have been able to drive a steam locomotive himself, which was not a widespread skill in the 19th century – especially among members of the “better” classes.

Was Ferdinand really able to drive trains? What is remarkable above all is that he was believed to be capable of it. A prince who was prepared to get his hands dirty: What better image could a constitutional monarch spread of himself to convince his subjects that he was committed to Bulgaria? So perhaps there is something to it when you read that Ferdinand I loved

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The Western media, of course, made fun of this. It was said that Ferdinand I, travelling on the Orient Express, had asked the driver to let him take the controls. He had supposedly indulged in the fun of driving fast and then braking sharply.

The passengers were said to have complained about this to the railway authorities, whereby the Compagnie Internationale des Wagon-Lits instructed its staff not to let the prince into the locomotive any more.

There may have been a healthy dose of envy in all of these jokes, directed at a prince who, in collaboration with the economic elite of Europe, put a country “at the (then) end of the world” on the map in just a few years. Otto von Bismarck, at any rate, held Ferdinand in high esteem: “Prince Ferdinand is undoubtedly more capable than his reputation in the satirical magazines suggests, and more capable than most other princes.”

This opinion was probably shared by the Bulgarian locomotive drivers. A delegation is said to have awarded Ferdinand I the locomotive driver’s “diploma Honoris Causae”, so to speak. It is also said that Ferdinand did not miss the opportunity to thank the train crews personally at the end of a train journey, and to hand out bonuses and cigars.

The gold medal of the railway line from Yambol to Burgas held by Ferdinand I is a wonderful reminder of a great ruler, and of a people who managed to become an important part of Europe in just a few decades.

Ursula Kampmann, Michael Autengruber

Of Black and Red Eagles An important Rhenish collection of Prussian orders and decorations at Künker.

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n the upcoming Hall Auction 395 on 13 November 2023, an extensive Rhenish collection of Prussian orders and decorations will be offered for sale, including numerous extremely rare and very rare objects, some of which have not been on the market for years or even decades.

The collection contains early objects of the High Order of the Black Eagle, and insignia of other Prussian orders.

Under the expert guidance of the doyen of Prussian phaleristics, Dr Peter Sauerwald (19 November 1936 - 18 September 2022), the collector has succeeded in bringing together numerous insignia of all models of this order over decades. In doing so, the collector has paid less attention to the countless variations of the various insignia (swords, swords on the ring, oak leaves, enamel ribbon, ribbon, crown and sceptre, crown, jubilee numbers, St John’s cross, etc.) and their combinations, than to the various models and their different manufacturers and periods of manufacture.

But the collector has devoted himself not only to the insignia themselves, but also to the associated award documents, especially the early specimens which are not so often found on the market. This too has been done systematically and with particular care. Numerous “order-relevant” documents, among them many Most High Cabinet Ordres, with original signatures of King Friedrich Wilhelm II (1744-1797, r. beginning 1786), Friedrich Wilhelm III (1770-1840, r. beginning 1797) and Friedrich Wilhelm IV (1795-1862, r. beginning 1840) are available in the collection and are offered in this auction.

Lot 25: Prussia.

The processing and cataloguing of this outstanding and meticulously-structured Prussian collection was a great challenge for the two phalerists Michael Autengruber and Frank Wörner. They learned a great deal in the process, and it was very enjoyable for both of them. May the numerous objects find new homes in other collections.

Order of the Red Eagle.

First model (so-called “Great Order of the Red Eagle” - 1792-1810).

Extremely rare. II. Estimate: 15,000 euros

Michael Autengruber

This preference has produced a collection that includes the insignia of most classes of the five models from 1792 to 1918, thus showing the basic differences between these individual models. In addition, the collection also contains numerous civilian and military insignia, some of them also in their different models and variants, including an entire series of Iron Crosses from 1813 to 1939.

Lot 79: Prussia.

Order of the Red Eagle (1734/1792).

Fifth model (with brick-red historicising eagle frontal with heart shield - 1854-1918), proof cross I. Class “with diamonds”, made by the company Humbert und Söhne in Berlin from 1854 to 1860, 52.5 x 48.3 mm, gold, partly enamelled, multi-piece with separate eagle with crown and heart shield, gold enamelled, with crown and heart shield, gold enamelled, with separately applied medallion ring with a total of 23 old-cut diamonds (tested!), 26 g (with band ring), maker’s mark “H&S” in cylinder, without band. OEK23 1638/1.

Estimate: 10,000 euros

Lot 1: Prussia.

High Princely Order of the Red Eagle of Brandenburg (1705).

Breast star to the Small Cross of the Order, 148 x 148 mm, with frontal eagle with Hohenzollern shield on the breast and head turned to the left, silver- and gold flattened wire (silver gilt) and sequin and sequin embroidery, coloured silk embroidery in the medallion, these somewhat faded, all fastening loops preserved, on the lapel old covering paper, parts of it missing. OEK23 567.

Estimate: 3,000 euros

Lot 174: Prussia.

Iron Cross, 1813 issue (1813).

Iron Cross II Class, second version with slightly wider ribbon rims, 44.3 x 39.1 mm, stepped iron core on both sides, two-piece silver frame soldered together, on closed ribbon ring, 17.5 g, an old original contemporary-sewn, somewhat soiled long ribbon for combatants enclosed.

BWK2 39; OEK23 1899; WEK T 3.

Estimate: 1,500 euros

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KÜNKER Exklusiv

eLive Premium Auctions 398 and 399: Coins from all over the world and the Wenninger numismatic library On 17 and 18 November we will hold our eLive Premium Auctions 398 and 399. Auction 398 contains about 1,100 lots of coins and medals from all over the world with a focus on the German States, while Auction 399 is dedicated to the Alois Wenninger numismatic library.

F

ollowing our Floor Auction Sales, we offer high-quality and rare coins and medals from all over the world with our eLive Premium Auction 398. Collectors once again have the chance to bid for coins with “multiple portraits” from the Westphalian private collection. Our eLive Premium Auction 399 is dedicated to the numismatic library of Alois Wenninger. The well-known Munich coin dealer has compiled an outstanding working library, especially regarding ancient coinage.

Auction 398 – Coins and medals from all over the world Nearly 400 lots of coins and medals from abroad, with a large lot of coins from the Habsburg hereditary lands, will kick off the eLive Premium Auction 398, which starts on Friday, 17 November 2023 beginning at 10:00 am online at www.elive-auction.de.

It’s worth taking a close look at the offer as it includes numerous impressive pieces. The price range goes from 50 euros for a Saxon imperial half-thaler from 1592, to 20,000 euros for an 1839 quadruple ducat from Sweden.

Lot 4364: Austria. Franz I, 1804-1835.

Lot 4507: Brandenburg-Prussia.

Gold medal of 11 ducats 1816, on the Imperial visit to the Milan Mint.

Friedrich Wilhelm II, 1786-1797. Gold medal of 12 ducats 1796. Medal of Honour

Extremely rare. Almost FDC.

of the VI Prussian Dragoon Regiment for Lieutenant General Philipp August

Estimate: 5,000 euros

Wilhelm von Werther (1729-1802). Extremely rare. Extremely fine.

Estimate: 6,000 euros

Of course, as usual for Künker, the focus is on Old Germany and Germany after 1871. At this point, we want to draw attention to a small series of Bavarian coins focusing on the rulers Maximilian III Joseph, Charles Theodore, Maximilian I (IV) Joseph, and Ludwig I. Particularly impressive is a perfectlypreserved threefold ducat of 1792 on the vicariate of Max III Joseph. But the various lineages of Brandenburg, Hesse and Saxony are also very well represented.

These lots will be followed by an attractive offering of coins of the German Empire, the Weimar Republic, and the Federal Republic of Germany.

Lot 4612: Hesse-Cassel. Wilhelm IV the Wise, 1567-1592.

Imperial thaler 1592, Kassel, on his death. Extremely rare. Very fine.

Estimate: 20,000 euros

Lot 4030: France. Philippe VI, 1328-1350.

Double royal d'or o. J. (1340). Rare. Extremely fine.

Estimate: 7,500 euros

Lot 4429: Bavaria. Charles Theodore, 1777-1799.

3 Ducats 1792, Munich, on the Vicariate. NGC MS63.

Very rare. Extremely fine to FDC. Estimate: 25,000 euros Lot 4835: Saxony. Friedrich August I, 1694-1733.

Silver medal 1717 for the 200th anniversary of the Reformation.

Very rare. About FDC. Estimate: 3,000 euros Lot 4085: Great Britain. Oliver Cromwell, 1653-1658.

Crown 1658. Very rare. Extremely fine.

Estimate: 4,000 euros

Lot 4503: Brandenburg-Prussia.

Lot 5185: FRG. 5 DM 1597 G.

Lot 4222: Sweden. Karl XIV Johann, 1818-1844.

Friedrich II, 1740-1786. 1777 medal on the rebuilding of the Schützenhaus in

100th birthday of Otto Hahn. In silver.

4 ducats 1839, Stockholm. Very rare, only 2,000 pieces minted.

Breslau. Very rare. Extremely fine to FDC.

Extremely rare. About FDC.

Almost FDC.

Estimate: 4,000 euros

Estimate: 10,000 euros

Estimate: 20,000 euros

Lot 4284: Habsburg Hereditary Lands -- Austria.

Maximilian I, 1490-1519. 1509 double show guldiner, Hall, on the acceptance of the imperial title. Very rare. Very fine to extremely fine. Estimate: 4,000 euros

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Due to the speculation by the Hunt brothers, the price of silver rose from $6.08 to $49.45 per troy ounce between 1 January 1979 and 18 January 1980. This made the issuance of the commemorative coins already minted in silver on the occasion of Otto Hahn’s 100th birthday a loss-making proposition. The Ministry of Finance pulled the ripcord and had the coins melted down again and issued in base metal. A few pieces of this silver coinage seem to have survived, however. According to the Bundesbank’s National Analysis Centre, they were “officially put into circulation via the diplomatic corps”.

Edition 05/2023

Auction 399

Lot 6488: TENTZEL, W.E. Saxon Medal Cabinet,

For the second time we are selling a coin library of the well-known numismatist Alois Wenninger. His first numismatic library was sold towards the end of his active professional life.

It’s hard to believe that in just a decade he has amassed this second impressive specialist library, which is being sold in eLive Premium Auction 399.

Of commemorative coins and show pennies, which the most illustrious Electors and princes of Saxony of the main Ernestine lineage emboss and have manufactured.

Estimate: 200 euros

Read more about Auction 399 and Alois Wenninger in the article below. For catalogue orders, please contact our customer service at Tel: +49 (0)541 962020; Fax: +49 (0)541 9620222; or via e-mail: service@kuenker.de.

You can also study the auction catalogues online at www.kuenker.de. If you wish to bid live on your home computer, please remember to register for this service in time.

Lot 6320: BANDURI, A.[M.], Lot 6706: ANNUAIRE DE LA SOCIETE

Numismata Imperatorum romanorum a Trajano Decio

FRANCAISE DE NUMISMATIQUE ET D'ARCHEOLOGIE.

ad Palaeologos Augustos, accessit Bibliotheca nummaria.

Volumes 1867-1870, 1873-1874, 1877-1884 in uniform

Sive Auctorum qui de Re Nummariâ scripserunt.

bindings, plus volumes 1889.

Paris (publisher: François Montalant) 1718.

Estimate: 500 euros

Estimate: 300 euros

Our eLive Premium Auction 399 The coin library of the numismatist Alois Wenninger A

lois Wenninger was born in 1949 in the Lower Bavarian town of Straubing. His hometown and its immediate surroundings have yielded numerous archaeological sites dating from prehistoric- to early modern times, which, in harmony with the historical tradition, emphasise the importance of the location. They include the finds from the “Straubing Culture” of the Bronze Age, which is referred to in archaeological research under this working term; but there are also remains of a large late Celtic settlement and, last but not least, an abundance of Roman antiquities, such as the military camps and the Roman fortresses discovered there. The impressive “Straubing Treasure Trove” unearthed in 1950, a depot hidden in the third century AD, has become internationally known, in particular because of the magnificently-preserved military equipment it contains.

This wealth of historical remains from his home region must have awakened Alois Wenninger’s pronounced interest in the ancient world at an early age. He acquired his academic foundation by studying history and the German language and literature at the University of Regensburg. As a student, he also had the opportunity to increase his numismatic knowledge and to gain practical experience in researching the material culture of antiquity, by participating in excavations. After passing his state examination, he became an employee of the renowned Munich coin dealer Eugen Beckenbauer (* 1913 in Würzburg, † 1999 in Pfarrkirchen, district of Rottal-Inn) and under the aegis of his boss also acquired the necessary tools and qualifications of a professional numismatist in the private sector.

When Beckenbauer handed over the operational management of his business to his long-time employee Otto Kozinowski (*1939 in Elbing, † 1994 in Munich) at the end of 1979, the professional division of tasks in the operational processes had long been established. Kozinowski devoted himself mainly to medieval and modern coins as well as medals, and Alois Wenninger was primarily responsible for the relevant objects from antiquity. In 1985, Egon Beckenbauer sold his company for reasons of age to the private bank H. Aufhäuser, which had been renamed Hauck & Aufhäuser Privatbankiers KG aA in 1998.

The bank, which had already been active in the numismatic trade and had held its first coin auction the previous year, retained Beckenbauer’s two accomplished employees. Otto

In the 38 years of his professional numismatic activity, Alois Wenninger twice built up his own private numismatic library.

He parted with the first one towards the end of his professional activity. Later, he again compiled a new stock of numismatic literature according to his professional inclinations, which can now be offered to a broad circle of interested parties at his request. Publications from the 16th to the 21st century are represented, with those from the second half of the 20th century onwards – including reprints of older relevant works – forming the bulk of the total holdings distributed here in 663 lots.

Publications on Greek, Celtic, and Roman numismatics form one of the focal points of Wenninger’s literature holdings, but publications on glyptics, ancient art, and cultural history, and works by historians of antiquity are also offered. In the fields of medieval and modern coinage, the focus is on the German, especially the South German, coinage. Nor has the field of medal research been neglected – among the periodicals is the Numismatische Zeitschrift (Vienna) with a complete series of the Volumes 1869-2020 (Lot 6640, estimated price: 4,000 euros).

A group of auction catalogues represents the final segment of Wenninger’s book holdings, but not the end of the auction!

Alois Wenninger

Kozinowski was assigned the overall management of the Numismatic Department, Alois Wenninger took over the management of the “Ancient Numismatics” division. Since 1989, he has also worked as a publicly-appointed and sworn expert. The Bank’s management appointed him Head of the Numismatic Department in 1994, following the unexpected death of his predecessor. In 2010, as a result of its new strategic orientation, the bank withdrew from the trading and auction business with coins and medals. As a result of this measure, the Numismatic Department was transformed into the company Künker Numismatik AG. Alois Wenninger has remained on friendly terms with this numismatic trading company and also with Künker in Osnabrück to this day, and is always happy to contribute his wealth of experience and expertise in ancient coins.

The programme continues with 83 lots from other holdings, with further bibliophilic works from the 16th century onwards, as well as periodicals from the 18th to the 21st century, and finally auction catalogues before 1945: Some of them are offered as individual items, but there are also two large bundles. Among the auction lists are also several annotated catalogues from the house of A. Riechmann Nachfolger, which, as handwritten or protocol copies of that house, represent rare specialities with an extraordinary source value for the history of numismatic collecting and the coin market in Germany in the 1930s, due to the handwritten entries.

Detlev Hölscher

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KÜNKER Exklusiv

Künker becomes official partner of Myntauktioner i Sverige AB, Sweden’s leading numismatic auction house Fig. 3: The library of the Swedish Numismatic Society (SNF) at Banérgatan 17 in Stockholm, founding seat of the company Myntauktioner i Sverige AB.

The very first auction was a sensation: On 12 September 2009, the extraordinary collection of the Stockholm numismatist Anders Frösell (1945-2008) was auctioned (Fig. 4). With its background information on monetary history, the carefullyprepared auction catalogue is an important reference work for medieval Swedish numismatics from the beginnings under Olof Skötkonung (995-1022) to the end of the Kalmar Union (1523).

Fig. 1: Svenska Numismatikska Föreningen. Auction 1, 17 May 1935.

Fig. 2: Sven Svensson (1855-1928).

Mimeographed catalogue.

Bronze plaque by Sven Kulle.

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n Scandinavia, numismatic societies (both regional and national) regularly hold their own coin auctions. On 17 May 1935, the Swedish Numismatic Society (Svenska Numismatika Föreningen, SNF) held its first auction with 90 items (Fig. 1).

Since then, many important numismatic objects have been auctioned by the SNF on behalf of its members.

of the pieces in the Swedish Royal Numismatic Collection (KMK). The proceeds went to the newly-established Sven Svensson Foundation (Sven Svenssons Stiftelse för Numismatik), which in turn supports numismatic research and teaching in Sweden and contributes to new acquisitions for the Royal Numismatic Collection.

Since the 1960s, the Society’s auctions have been regularly enriched with pieces from a very special source. The wellknown Swedish coin collector Sven Svensson (1855-1928)(Fig. 2), who had been a member of the SNF since 1907 and a member of its board since 1922 – and who himself had advocated the holding of the Society’s own auctions – had bequeathed a significant financial fortune as well as his enormous coin collection to the SNF, partly with the aim of providing the association with its own premises. From 1963 onwards, the SNF was regularly allowed to auction off important objects from the Svensson collection, provided that these were duplicates

After some 75 years of holding its own auctions, the SNF established a separate auction company in 2009 under the name Myntauktioner i Sverige AB (Fig. 3). The aim of the new company was to generate ongoing revenue for the society, and to provide a service to members. The new auction company would also be open to non-members of the Swedish Numismatic Society.

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Numerous other important auctions with significant special collections followed. The success of the company is mainly due to the hard work of the Managing Director and numismatist Dan Carlberg (born 1972) and his team (Fig 5). In 2022, Carlberg, together with Bengt Hemmingsson and Magnus Wijk, published the new, completely revised- and supplemented edition of “Sveriges Mynt” (Fig. 6), which, with its first edition written by Bjarne Ahlström, Bengt Hemmingsson and Yngve Almer in 1976, has been the standard reference work for Swedish coins issued since the secession from the Kalmar Union in 1521. In the growth of Myntauktioner i Sverige AB it was also significant that after the sale and later demise of the coin auction house B. Ahlström Mynthandel AB in 2004 and 2007, a gap had appeared in the Swedish coin market. Bjarne Ahlström (1938-2017) had succeeded in building the leading numismatic auction house in Scandinavia with international recognition after his first auction in 1972. Another impetus for the success of Myntauktioner i Sverige AB was that the market for Swedish coins and medals was strongly stimulated between 2007 and 2012 by the auction of two of the most important collections of Swedish coins and medals ever formed.

Edition 05/2023 MYNTAUKTIONER I SVERIGE AB

SAMLING FRÖSELL

Auktion 1 LÖRDAGEN 12 SEPTEMBER 2009 Avdelning 1

Banérgatan 17

•

115 22 STOCKHOLM

e-mail: info@myntauktioner.se Tel: 070 - 999 06 09

1

Fig. 4: Myntauktioner i Sverige AB

Fig. 5: Dan Carlberg, Managing Director

Fig. 6: The new, completely revised and

Catalogue of Auction 1, 12 September 2009

of Myntauktioner i Sverige AB.

supplemented edition of “Sveriges Mynt” (2022).

In 2022, the SNF sold its auction company Myntauktioner i Sverige AB to the board members – Dan Carlberg, Per-Erik Andersson, Bernt Thelin, Magnus Wijk and Anders Nordin – who had been active since the beginning in 2009. The scope of business activities that had developed no longer seemed appropriate for a subsidiary of a collectors’ association.

Coins connect people. May the new partnership contribute to the further development of Swedish-German and European friendship.

(Anders Frösell Collection).

At the beginning of this year 2023, the Swedish Gunnar Ekström Foundation (Gunnar Ekström Stiftelse för Numismatik, named after the well-known collector Gunnar Ekström (1883-1969)) (Fig. 7) decided to auction off the approximately 80 numismatic objects that were on display in the Royal Numismatic Collection (KMK) exhibition opposite the royal castle until the KMK’s closure in 2017. After the KMK’s move to the new premises, these coins and medals can unfortunately no longer be exhibited. The auction houses chosen by the Foundation were Myntauktioner i Sverige AB for the Imperial Swedish pieces, and Künker for the coins of the Swedish possessions and for the gold medals.

Myntauktioner i Sverige AB

The collections of the Barons Bonde at Ericsberg Castle and the collection of the entrepreneur Julius Hagander (1925-2009) were sold in a total of ten auctions by Ulf Nordlind Mynthandel AB (led by numismatists Ulf Nordlind and Hans Hirsch). Four of these auctions took place in Stockholm and six others in Osnabrück, Germany (together with the auction house Künker).

On this fertile ground, Myntauktioner i Sverige AB developed impressively by putting the interests and satisfaction of the customers, both consignors and buyers, at the centre of its work. In addition to classic auctions with 43 printed auction catalogues to date, which have become important reference works due to the careful descriptions and the additional information on monetary and general history, Myntauktioner i Sverige AB has organised 50 online-only auctions with desirable numismatic objects.

MYNTAUKTIONER I SVERIGE AB

MYNTAUKTION

MYNTAUKTION

Fig. 7: Wera and Gunnar Ekström (1883-1969).

Gold plaque by Ernst Nordin.

Dr Andreas Kaiser

During the joint discussions in this context, it became apparent once again that the two auction houses have a number of things in common, in particular the standard of high-quality and reliable work in the interest of their customers. This gave rise to the idea of cooperation, and the decision that Künker would become an official partner of Myntauktioner i Sverige AB (Fig. 8). Swedish and German numismatics have worked together in a spirit of trust for many generations – it is a pity that Professor Peter Berghaus from Münster, Germany, a connoisseur of Swedish numismatics and closely connected to the House of Künker, will no longer be able to experience this new Swedish-German partnership.

KVALITET

Auktion 43 FREDAGEN 29 SEPTEMBER 2023 LÖRDAGEN 30 SEPTEMBER 2023

& TRADITION

Banérgatan 17 • 115 22 STOCKHOLM We are pleased that – following the successful auctions of the E-mail: info@myntauktioner.se www.myntauktioner.se Tel: 08 – 410 465 65 Bonde and Hagander collections conducted together with Ulf 43 Nordlind and Hans Hirsch – we will be able to further expand Fig. 8: Myntauktioner i Sverige AB. our contacts with Sweden, and we invite you to get to know Catalogue of Auction 43, 29/30 September 2023 our partners at www.myntauktioner.se or to contact them at with approx. 60 objects from the Gunnar Ekström collection. info@myntauktioner.se.

OFFICIAL PARTNER

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KÜNKER Exklusiv

Coin cabinets around the world: The coin cabinet of the Historical Museum in Basel In the last Künker Exclusive we introduced you to a new series featuring international centres of numismatics. In this issue we present the oldest publicly accessible coin collection that can still be visited today. We will travel to Basel, where we’ll make the acquaintance of someone who is probably history’s most famous humanist, and his circle of friends.

Fig. 1: Erasmus of Rotterdam.

Miniature by Hans Holbein the Younger.

Basel Art Museum. Photo: KW

although they bear no names, can be assigned to the great scholars of the Greeks (Aristotle), Hebrews (Solomon) and Romans (Virgil). The Latin inscription refers to them: ‘For myself and in deep remembrance of the greatest of the learned, I have had this made’.

What was in this box? Well, certainly some coins. For Erasmus possessed – as we know from written sources – among other things a gold stater of Koson, an aureus of Traian and a solidus of Gratian. But can we therefore call Erasmus a coin collector? No, because these pieces were random gifts that Erasmus had kept as precious (and, in an emergency, saleable) possessions.

T

hose who visit Basel, Switzerland probably tend to know it in connection with chemistry and the pharmaceutical industry. Few people who are merely passing through know that Basel has an unusually intact old medieval centre, which was an important location for paper- and book production in the Renaissance. A respected printer, Johann Froben (c.

1460-1527), worked here. He offered his most famous author, Erasmus of Rotterdam, accommodation in his own house when the writer was no longer able to travel because of increasingly severe gout. This is how it came about that Erasmus’ death chamber can be visited in Basel today, and that his legacy is found in the city’s Historical Museum.

We must begin with Johannes Amerbach (c. 1441-1513). He was originally a printer, and because Amerbach’s son Bonifacius (1495-1562) gave up the family printing trade, Froben had taken over their print shop. The younger Amerbach began a new career at Basel University, becoming a teacher of jurisprudence.

Erasmus appreciated the shrewd jurist, who had excellent connections. One may well speculate whether Amerbach helped the Erasmus to acquire a papal dispensation in 1525 that allowed the great humanist to bequeath his property. For Erasmus of Rotterdam theoretically remained a priest until his death, and as a former Augustinian canon he was not allowed to freely dispose of his worldly possessions. However, thanks to this dispensation Erasmus of Rotterdam drew up his last will and appointed his friend Bonifacius Amerbach on 12 February 1536 as his executor and heir, dying just a few months later.

Bonifacius Amerbach was a loyal friend and proved a faithful executor. He fended off the claims of legacy hunters, paid out the legacies, and invested Erasmus’ remaining assets in such a way that the return covered the “perpetual” legacies in the future. And above all, he guarded the objects from Erasmus’ estate that had passed into his own possession.

For these he built a chest, which can still be seen in the permanent exhibition of the Historical Museum. That it was used to hold Erasmus’ possessions is immediately apparent.

On the far left, a medallion shows Erasmus’ portrait. Depicted in similar medallions are three other bust portraits which,

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Bonifacius Amerbach, on the other hand, was a collector. He systematically collected everything he could acquire from among Erasmus’ possessions. For example, he paid Aurelius Erasmius Froben two gulden for a table knife because it had “been of D. D. Erasmj”. But he also bought beautiful objects such as a magnificent globe goblet made by Jakob Stampfer, probably the most famous die-cutter in Switzerland. Amerbach paid 124 gulden for it in 1555.

Fig. 2: Tomb of Erasmus of Rotterdam in Basel. Please note the head of Terminus with windblown hair. You will find him on the reverse of the most famous medal with the portrait of Erasmus. Photo: KW.

And of course Amerbach too had a coin collection. It consisted of 252 pieces, of which 103 were genuine and 6 were cast ancient coins in base metal, 81 genuine silver, 10 gold, and 50 contemporary coins and medals.

His son, Basilius Amerbach (1533-1591), inherited the collection and expanded it. After the early deaths of his wife, his only son and his father – all of whom died within three weeks of each other – Basilius no longer dared to seek comfort from mortals who might again disappear. Instead, he sought his personal happiness in the well-ordered world of his collection. For it, he built a cabinet of curiosities between 1578 and 1580. In this chamber, standing in the middle of the room and accessible on all four sides, was his small coin cabinet, which can still be seen in Basel’s Historical Museum. The finely-crafted drawers are veneered and protected by fine locks from Nuremberg.

The coin cabinet provided space for the 3,870 coins, medals and other objects that Basilius collected, especially in the last years of his life.

The drawers on the right contained the Greek and Roman coins in chronological order. In the back, Amerbach stored the medals. On the left were rarities, gold and silver coins, works in mother-of-pearl, gems, cameos, cut- and uncut gemstones, and everything else that was small and remarkable.

The front was occupied by three ancient statues, of which only two remain today.

Fig. 3: Medal on Erasmus of Rotterdam, from his own possession. © Historical Museum Basel.

Edition 05/2023

Fig. 4: Chest of Erasmus Basel, 1539 (dated). © Historisches Museum Basel.

Fig. 5: Portrait of Bonifacius Amerbach by Hans Holbein the Younger.

Basel Museum of Art. Photo: KW

This small piece of furniture is one of the oldest coin cabinets that have survived to the present day. And it borders on the miraculous that its contents and the entire collection were not scattered all over the world as is the case with many other private collections, but can still be admired in Basel. The paintings can be viewed in the Kunstmuseum (art museum), the coins and objects in the Historical Museum. And how they got there is also an exciting story.

Fig. 6: The small coin cabinet of Basil Amerbach. Basel, c. 1578. © Historisches Museum Basel.

The oldest museum in the world Basilius Amerbach died in 1591 leaving no descendants. He left his entire estate to his sister’s son, Ludwig Iselin-Ryhiner.

Ludwig and his son looked after the collection without adding anything, but also kept it intact. But in 1648, Basilius Iselin, the last male scion of the family, died. Immediately, there was a legal dispute over his estate, in which the Basel government became heavily involved.

In 1648 the mayor of Basel, Johann Rudolf Wettstein, had secured the secession of the Swiss Confederation from the Holy Roman Empire in the Peace of Westphalia; this was naturally accompanied by an enhanced self-image on the part of the citizens of Basel. They wanted to catch up with the princely houses which were so proud of their great collections.

After all, there were also collections within the Basel city walls that could certainly compete with some of the noble ones ...

Although there were some voices in favor of selling everything, Wettstein advocated the preservation of the unique ensemble: “I would be very sorry if the Greeks, or even the Goths, were to snatch this palladium from us. We will lose it to our dishonour, it may be said of us that we lost it for lack of money or out of disdain for such valuable objects, which were brought together over a century and a half with incredible zeal and effort by most excellent men. What should be done? Give me advice, O friend.” So wrote Wettstein in a letter dated 1 March 1650.

From 1671, the Amerbach collection was displayed in the Haus zur Mücke, near the Basel Minster. Initially, it was only open once a week, on Thursday afternoons. Today, the people of Basel are proud of the fact that this was one of the first publicly accessible collections belonging to a bourgeois community.

Even though the exhibition is now displayed in the old Barfüßerkirche, it is very worthwhile to visit the Amerbach Collection in the Historical Museum.

It shows us how deeply rooted collecting is in the DNA of the educated European world.

Ursula Kampmann

Fig. 7: Globe goblet, made by die-cutter Jakob Stampfer (1505/6 - 1579), Zurich, c. 1550/1552.

Who would buy the expensive collection? No one could be found in Basel, so Wettstein’s son made inquiries in Schaffhausen and Zurich to prevent the Amerbach cabinet from leaving the country. But it was only when an Amsterdam merchant made a concrete offer of 9,500 reichsthalers that the council decided to act.

On 20 November 1661, the decision was made to buy the collection from the heirs for 9,000 reichsthalers – payable in three annual instalments.

© Historisches Museum Basel.

Fig. 8: Let us stake this opportunity to recall the memory of an amible numismatist: Dr Michael Matzke, who died far too young.

He redesigned the permanent exhibition of the Basel coin collection in 2011.

His exhibition is still very much worth seeing! Photo: UK

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KÜNKER Exklusiv

An extraordinary collection of antique portrait coins The Collection of Dr W. R., Parts 7 and 8

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‘house of coined history’, as is auction house Künker, is very happy about collections that have been built up with a historical scheme, and thus bring an interesting epoch of world history to life. This is undoubtedly true of this part of the collection of Dr W. R. The learned collector has, in addition to numerous other collections, built up a special collection of approximately 100 coins over several decades with great dedication. These coins reflect the transition of the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire (approx. 50 BC to 50 AD) under a specific criterion: Only in this period were coins minted on which the portraits and name inscriptions of important men in the service of the Roman state can be found. Before this time, one only encounters the images or portraits of mythical or already deceased greats of the Roman Republic; after this time, they are replaced exclusively with the portraits of members of the imperial house.

A collector who embarks on such a theme must make concessions to the objective of acquiring only the bestpreserved coins. Many pieces are extremely rare or have only come to light in a single specimen. Aesthetic demands and historical significance are often at odds. It is likely that one must wait many years until such a piece comes on the market again.

This aspect in particular shows how important it is that such special collections are handled with the care they deserve, that attention is effectively drawn to them, and that the possibilities for acquiring them are easy and clear. Only in this way will other friends of such coins have a chance to take possession of them for a certain period of time, to complete their collections with them and to be able to enjoy such rarities. The self-sacrificing activity of the collector who hands over the coins makes it possible for our house to always produce a well-illustrated and thoroughly annotated catalogue in such cases, which pays tribute to the collecting achievement and preserves the memory of it. Such a catalogue can serve as a source and an aid for scientific numismatics, but also as an impulse for further research.

The period from 50 BC to 50 AD – a decisive phase in world history The coins in the Dr W. R. Collection shed light on one of the most interesting epochs in world history. In the 100 years from about 50 BC to around 50 AD, events followed one upon the other thick and fast, and there were always new and unforeseeable twists and turns: In Rome, Augustus brought a new state order to a world empire. During Augustus’ time as ruler, a man was born in Bethlehem who was to become the founder of a new religion. It was a phase of world history whose effects lasted for many centuries.

New colonies for Roman civil war veterans Several coins in the Dr W. R. collection provide evidence of Rome’s multiple colonisation efforts during this period.

Rome founded colonies of veteran soldiers in many parts of the Mediterranean to provide them with a new livelihood after their military service of often more than twenty years.

Local coins commemorate the founding of such colonies, name the politicians involved in them, and give those men a face on portrait minting. Probably in 42 BC, the young Caesar (Augustus) had a military colony established in Turris Libisonis (today Porto Torres) on Sardinia to secure control over the island. A coin commemorates this. On the obverse it shows the portrait of the Roman praetor who founded the colony P(raetor) - M(arcus) - L(urius) - D(eductor) C(oloniae).

Under his head, only the outlines of the plough with which the colony was founded can be seen: With it, Praetor Lurius had drawn a furrow around the area of the new city to be founded by order of Augustus. The reverse of the coin shows a stylised temple, with the names of the first mayors (duoviri) of the new soldier city (Lot 1007) written in abbreviated form.

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Gnaeus Statilius Libo, portrayed on a Spanish coin, probably founded a veterans’ colony in Spain – most likely in Carthago Nova (today Cartagena) – in 42 BC on behalf of the triumvir Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (Lot 1002; Fig. 1).

Fig. 1: The theatre of Cartagena.

A few years after the Battle of Actium, possibly in 27 BC, Marcus Agrippa (Fig. 2), the general and son-in-law of Augustus, settled Roman veterans in Knossos, Crete. On an extremely rare coin (Lot 1021) the head of Agrippa is depicted on the obverse.

It is encircled by the hard-to-read abbreviation C(olonia) I(ulia) N(obilis) C(nosus) EX D(e)D(uctione); “ex deductione” means ‘due to a settlement’. The reverse shows the portrait of Augustus; listed are the names of those mayors (duoviri) who had the coin minted in honour of the colony’s founder Agrippa and his powerful father-in-law: M(arcus) AIMILI(us), T(itus) FVFIVS - II VIR(i).

S(enatūs) C(onsulto) C(oloniam)] R(estituit) encircles the image.

It states that the mayor Gaius Cassius, son of Gaius, mayor of the newly-founded colony, had the coin minted and that Augustus, son of the Divine (Julius Caesar), re-founded the colony by order of the Senate (Lot 1030).

Caesar had already planned to send soldiers discharged from military service to Apameia Myrleia. This city lay in Bithynian northern Asia Minor on the Sea of Marmara. After Caesar’s assassination Marc Antony had realised this plan in 42-40 BC. In 27 BC, Augustus (Figs. 3 and 4) strengthened the colony of Apameia by resettling soldiers who had been discharged there. He had to obtain the Senate’s permission for this, as Bithynia was a senatorial province. A coin commemorates this. On the obverse it shows the head of the governor of Bithynia, who was named Appius Pulcher and held the title of proconsul: AP(pius) PVL[CHER] PRO COS(ule). The reverse shows the mythical Roman she-wolf feeding the twins Romulus and Remus.

The Latin legend C CASSIVS C F II VIR [F(aciundum) C(uravit) AVG DI(vi) F(ilius)

Fig. 2: Head of Agrippa in the museum of Nicopolis/Actium.

Photo: JN 26.9.2006

Photo: JN 25.2.2015

The tribute with portrait coins to those men who had led and supervised the establishment of a veteran colony (deductio) makes it clear how grateful soldiers were for such land grants.

For these veterans, a new life began with the transfer of property, even if they had to leave Italy and settle in some Roman province in the Mediterranean.

Augustus, however, was not content with settling demilitarised soldiers in Roman provinces. He definitively transformed the Roman militia army, into which anyone could be called to serve, into a professional army. He also ensured that no military commander, however successful, could come between him and ‘his’ soldiers. There were to be no more generals revered by the soldiers.

With few exceptions, only the emperor was allowed to celebrate the victories of ‘his’ soldiers, because all military actions were planned and commanded by him.

In this way Augustus wanted to remove the military preconditions for civil wars in the future, but it became clear in the turmoil of civil war after the death of the Emperor Nero in 68 AD that he had not succeeded with this for very long. However, the control of the military by a single man, which Augustus sought, did endure. It transformed the Roman state into a well-disguised military dictatorship.

Edition 05/2023

Lot 1002 Hispania. Æ, circa 43-36 BC or later, uncertain mint (Hispania Ulterior?). Very fine.

Estimate: 100 euros

Lot 1004 Gallia. Æ As, 8-3 BC, Lugdunum.

Counterstamp: Very rare. Coin: fine; counterstamp: almost very fine.

Estimate: 400 euros

Fig. 3: Head of Augustus in the Glyptothek Munich. Photo: JN 8.7.2023

Lot 1007 Sardinia. Æ, ca. 40 BC, Turris Libisonis. Rare. Almost very fine.

Estimate: 500 euros

Lot 1011 Africa. Zeugitana. Æ, 20-21 AD, Hippo Regius. Very rare. Good, very fine.

Fig. 5: The Hermann monument. Photo: Hubert Berberich, Wikipedia

Fig. 4: The Augustus cameo in the Lothar Cross in Aachen. Photo: JN 27.7.2018

Provincial governors honoured with coin images In addition to the founders of colonies, who have already been mentioned, it is mainly provincial governors whose portraits are found on coins of this period. Augustus was concerned with solid and predictable provincial administration, as he was keen to gain the approval of the provincial inhabitants for his new type of rule. The Augustan administrative reforms and rules, which outlawed the earlier behaviour of corrupt and unrestrainedly self-enriching governors, increased the people’s approval of the Roman administration in the provinces – and of the emperor personally as well. Good governors who worked for the interests of the provincial cities could be celebrated with portrait coins, and with other honours too, such as statues.

This highlighting of leading officials, which Augustus’ adoptive father Caesar had initiated with his portrait coins, Augustus cautiously tried to curb again. The logical goal for a Roman monarch was that only the images of the emperor and the members of his household should appear on coins minted in the Roman Empire – but Augustus was not yet able or willing to fully enforce this. For one thing, he considered it less than convenient to prevent urban communities from honouring deserving Roman officials, especially provincial governors, with a portrait. For another, these men were often persons related to him, or loyal followers, to whom he did not want to deny this honour. Therefore, the portrait coins of the W. R. collection reflect important personalities of the new ruling class of Augustus’ time, and represent an important source for their official conduct and reputation. The many ‘new men’ (homines novi) – read “up-and-comers” – among them also show how massively Augustus had changed the Roman ruling class.

Among these important personalities who were honoured with such portrait coins was Publius Quinctilius Varus. He came from the old noble family of the Quinctilians, but his

immediate ancestors had not been able to reach the rank of consul. Varus’ father, who committed suicide after the battle of Philippi in November 42 BC, had actually fought on the side of the Republicans against Augustus. Nevertheless, Varus himself experienced a breathtaking rise under Augustus. Obviously, he initially owed his career to the women he married. His three wives apparently all belonged to Augustus’ family. We know nothing more about the first wife. His second wife Vipsania Marcella was the daughter of Agrippa (see above) and Claudia Marcella maior (a daughter of Augustus’ sister Octavia). Varus’ third wife Claudia Pulchra was a granddaughter of Augustus’ sister Octavia. Varus’ affiliations by marriage to Augustus’ family led to the emperor taking him along as a travelling companion on his inspection trip to the Orient. Varus held the rank of quaestor, from 22 to 19 BC. As Varus was honoured on this journey with a statue on the Greek island of Tenos, in Pergamon, and finally in Athens, his position and influence with Augustus must have been very high. In the Alpine campaign of 15 BC, Varus served as legion commander of the 19th legion. Two years later, he held the consulship together with Tiberius, and in this position they petitioned the Senate for the construction of the Ara Pacis, the Altar of Peace for Augustus having returned from Spain and Gaul. Five years later, in 8/7 BC, Varus attained the office of governor of the province of Africa.

We only know of this office from the coinage of two cities, namely Achulla and Hadrumetum. The honour of a coin portrait was a special distinction and probably indicates that both cities profited from Varus’ leadership. In the collection of Dr W. R. there is a coin of the city of Achulla which shows the portrait of Augustus on the obverse, flanked by his two grandsons Gaius and Lucius Caesar (Lot 1013). Because of the prevailing shortage of small change, this coin remained in circulation for a long time and is heavily worn. To ensure that it retained its validity, a counterstamp – a six-spoked wheel – was struck on this obverse. The head of P. Quinctilius Varus is clearly visible on the reverse. Of the legend, ‘P – QVI’ is still legible (Lot 1013). But Varus’ career did not come to an end with his governorship of Africa. Between 7 and 4 BC, Augustus entrusted him with the province of Syria, where three legions were stationed.

Estimate: 1,250 euros

Lot 1013 Africa. Byzacium. Æ, 8/7 BC, Achulla. Extremely rare. Almost fine.

Estimate: 4,000 euros

Lot 1021 Crete. Æ, Augustus, 27 BC-14 AD, Knossos. Very rare. Almost very fine.

Estimate: 100 euros

Lot 1030 Asia. Pontus et Bithynia. Æ, 27 BC, Apameia.

Extremely rare. Green encrustation, very fine.

Estimate: 1,000 euros

Lot 1039 Asia. Aeolis. Æ, 6/5 BC, Temnos. Very fine.

Estimate: 100 euros

Lot 1057 Asia. Lycia et Pamphylia. Æ, 43-48 AD, Kibyra.

Extremely rare. Almost very fine.

Estimate: 200 euros

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KÜNKER Exklusiv Fig. 6: The Athena bowl from the Hildesheim Silver Treasure.

Photo: JN 7.10.2012

The historian Velleius Paterculus writes about this phase of his administration: “That he was truly not one who despised money is proved by his governorship of Syria: As a poor man he entered rich Syria, and as a rich man he left poor Syria.” Augustus turned a blind eye. Varus became immortalised by his final administration, for in 6-9 AD he was to ensure peace and order and the establishment of a proper administration in the province of Germania, which the Romans wanted to extend to the Elbe River. This attempt ended with his opponent Arminius (Fig. 5) managing to lure three Roman legions into an ambush and slaughter them north of the Wiehengebirge, near modern Osnabrück at Kalkriese. Varus was also among the dead at the so-called Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. It is possible that the united German tribes also captured Varus’ silver tableware, which many classical scholars believe to be the ‘Hildesheim Silver Treasure’ (Fig. 7).

In the W. R. collection there is a worn coin that was minted in Lugdunum. Thousands of coins of this type, which shows the head of Augustus on the obverse and the Roman central temple for Gaul on the reverse, have survived. Extremely rare, however, are pieces with the counterstamp C(aius) VAL(a) (Lot 1004). Gaius Numonius Vala was a staff officer of Varus who commanded one of the three Germanic legions under Varus’ supreme command. Apparently Vala gave such counter-stamped coins as gifts to his deserving soldiers: One such piece might have been enough for a merry evening. The Roman historian Velleius Paterculus records that at the ‘Battle of Teutoburg Forest’ Vala fled with some horsemen and tried to reach the safety of the Rhine. He did not succeed; while on the run he was slain by Germanic tribesmen.

Also among the ‘new’ men promoted by Augustus was Gaius Asinius Gallus. In a letter to the city of Knidos, which is preserved in an inscription, Augustus calls him his friend. In 8 BC Gallus became ordinary consul, meaning he took up this office on 1 January so that the new beginning Roman year was named after him and his colleague. Around 5 BC, Gallus became governor of the province of Asia. In connection with this office, the small Aeolian town of Temnos honoured him with a portrait coin. On the obverse of this municipal coin is not only his name, but also the praise that he was not corrupt: ‘hagnos’ is the Greek word for this pleasing feature (Lot 1039).

Around the turn of the century, Augustus entrusted Gallus with the province of Hispania citerior; his residence was Tarragona.

Towards the end of the first emperor’s reign, his close ties with Augustus even gave rise to the rumour that Augustus had intended him to be his successor. This brought him even more sharply into conflict with Tiberius, who hoped to succeed Augustus. Gaius Asinius Gallus had been at odds with Tiberius since 12 BC. In that year, immediately after Agrippa’s death, Augustus had ordered Tiberius to marry Agrippa’s widow, Augustus’ daughter Iulia. To do so, Tiberius had to divorce his beloved wife Vipsania Agrippina, a daughter of Agrippa.

Augustus then gave Agrippina, who had been divorced from Tiberius, to Gaius Asinius Gallus as his wife. She bore Gallus

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five sons, all of whom attained the ordinary consulship. After the death of Augustus, when Tiberius had succeeded him as emperor, tensions increased to such an extent that Tiberius finally had Asinius Gallus sentenced to death in 30 AD. The sentence was not carried out, but Gallus died miserably in prison.

A happier rising star under Augustus was Lucius Apronius.

Under Emperor Tiberius (14-37 AD) he attained the high rank of governor of the province of Africa between 18 and 21 AD. There, as before in Germania, he distinguished himself as a brave and clever general. He succeeded in decisively weakening the Berber rebel Tacfarinas, who was waging a guerrilla war against the Romans. For that reason Emperor Tiberius granted him the honours of a triumphator. At that time, almost without exception, only emperors were allowed to celebrate real triumphs. A well-preserved coin of the city of Hippo Regius, which centuries later was to become the episcopal city of St. Augustine, honoured the important

the reverse with the Greek inscription ‘Coin of the Citizens of Kibyra’ (Lot 1057). Kibyra was an important city in the border region of the Asia Minor landscapes of Caria, Pisidia and Lycia (Fig. 7). Quintus Veranius’ father was also one of the many ‘new men’ (homines novi) who owed their rise to Augustus. His son’s great hour came when Emperor Caligula was assassinated in January 41 AD, and numerous members of the Senate wanted to wipe out the imperial house founded by Augustus and renew the Republic. Quintus Veranius was ‘Tribune of the People’ at the time. According to the will of numerous senators, he was to use the veto power of a Tribune of the People to prevent Claudius from taking power. Veranius refused, and Claudius, who then actually did become emperor (41-54 AD), was grateful to him for life. In 43 AD there had been an uprising in Lycia, which was a semi-independent Roman ‘protectorate’. The local population had slain numerous Romans. Emperor Claudius then sent Quintus Veranius to Lycia for five years (43-48 AD) so that he could finally transform this difficult-to-control mountainous region into a proper Roman province. Veranius showed good judgement and applied a capable hand to this difficult task, putting down the rebellion and implementing a number of useful administrative reforms. On his return to Rome, he was rewarded for his successful work with the consulship, triumphant honours, and elevation to the patriciate (the highest class of Roman nobility). In 57 AD, Emperor Nero sent him to Britain, which had been conquered by Claudius but was now beset by rebellions. Veranius, who was experienced in mountain warfare, had as his principal task to put down the uprisings in Wales. He died there during his term of office.

Given the diversity of the coins, we can give only a short sampling and not an overview of the Dr W. R. collection. We recommend that interested customers have a look at the extensively annotated catalogue. There you will also find precise information on the provenances of the individual pieces. Dr W. R. has kept thorough records of the origins of the collection, and with such rare pieces, this is very important. It is certain that the Dr W. R. collection will be and will remain a reference collection for coins of this genre. In this respect, it is fascinating to have a piece of this magnificent collection in one’s hands and to integrate it into one’s own collection.

Johannes Nollé

Fig. 7: View of the restored fountain at Kibyra.

Photo: JN 2.5.2023

Roman with a portrait coin (Lot 1011): The portrait of Emperor Tiberius appears on the obverse, that of Lucius Apronius on the reverse. There appears not only the name of this governor, but also HIPPONE LIBERA, which is perhaps to be understood as ‘under whom Hippo became free’. It is possible that Lucius Apronius worked for the freedom of this city. Lucius Apronius is mentioned at length by the historian Tacitus. After his son-in-law had thrown his daughter out of a window and had killed her by doing this, Apronius sued him before the imperial court. When Apronius’ accusation was proven, the son-in-law committed suicide.

One of the latest portrait coins in the group is the one minted by the city of Kibyra in 43-48 AD. It shows the portrait of Quintus Veranius on the obverse and a stylised temple on

Edition 05/2023

Otto Hahn, the Atom, and the Hunt Brothers There are still people who claim that modern commemorative coins are not historically relevant objects. This is very wrong, as can be is illustrated by a German 5 DM commemorative coin that was issued in 1979 … well, was supposed to be issued. OK, did get issued, but somewhat differently than planned.

Otto Emil Hahn (1879-1968) on a GDR stamp, ca. 1979.

Billionaire brothers William Herbert (l.) and Nelson Bunker Hunt (r.) were sworn in before a US House of Representatives subcommittee investigating the recent collapse of the silver market in May 1980.

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n 8 March 1979, Otto Hahn, who died in 1968, would have celebrated his 100th birthday. 1979 was a turbulent time with respect to Hahn’s legacy, for in Germany a battle was raging over the topic of nuclear power. Was its peaceful use an achievement for mankind? Or did it represent an incalculable risk? The social-liberal coalition of SPD (Social Democrats) and FDP (free-market libertarians), which had been in power since 1974, was clearly behind nuclear power. And so the Ministry of Finance thought it would be a sensible, high-profile measure to dedicate one of the two annual commemorative 5 DM coins issued in 1979 to Otto Hahn. After all, Otto Hahn owed his 1945 Nobel Prize to the fact that he had first succeeded in splitting the uranium nucleus.

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Lot 5185: FRG. 5 DM 1979 G. 100th birthday of Otto Hahn.

In silver. Extremely rare. About FDC. Estimate: 10,000 euros

We may judge the illustration intended for this coin in this context. The diagram of a chain reaction in nuclear fission, designed by Helmut Stromsky, appears here as innocently as if it were a genealogical family tree. It had prevailed over four portraits by Otto Hahn at the jury meeting of 7/8 December 1978, and the judges even noted: “The dynamic of nuclear fission, however, is not fully expressed.”

Nor does the marginal inscription ERSTE SPALTUNG DES URANKERNS 1938 (“first fission of the uranium nucleus”) make any reference whatsoever to the fears of the time on the basis of which the Administrative Court in Schleswig had imposed a temporary halt to construction on the Brokdorf nuclear power plant in 1976.

Thus, a circulation of about 800,000 circulating commemorative coins was planned – i.e., coins that could be bought for their face value at banks and financial institutions – and 300,000 collectors’ pieces in proof.

They were minted in Karlsruhe, and were resting peacefully at the state central banks when the precious metal market suddenly went off the tracks.

We must remember that for decades gold and silver were not used for investment purposes. For example, the American gold ban of May 1, 1933 was not lifted until December 31, 1974.

Silver also suffered from the restrictive policy against private ownership of precious metals. Thus, on 3 November 1971, silver was quoted at its historic low of $1.282 per troy ounce.

But then in 1973 came the end of the Bretton Woods agreement, and with it the end of regulated exchange rates. The result was staggering inflation and a growing demand for tangible assets. The price of silver rose slowly but steadily from 1971 onwards. By 1974 it was already at around five dollars, and perhaps it would have risen only a bit further had it not been for the intervention of two speculators in a class of their own: the Hunt brothers. They planned to monopolise the silver market and make a huge profit.

To understand how someone could come up with such a megalomaniac idea, you have to know who the Hunts were.

The father of Nelson Bunker Hunt and his brother William Herbert Hunt was Haroldson Lafayette Hunt Jr., and he embodied the “American dream”: Haroldson had literally risen from day labourer to one of the richest men in the United States. Of course, that was not accomplished solely through the honest labour of his hands. His willingness to take risks is legendary to this day. At the decisive moment, a poker game saved him! His family did not exactly shine with solid economic knowledge, or family solidarity either. Haroldson had (at least) fifteen children from three marriages, all of whom fought over the family inheritance. The Hunt dynasty is said to have served as a model for the television series “Dallas”, which was launched in the USA in 1978.

Coming from such a family, one might conceivably think it a good idea to buy up all the silver in the world in order to be able to dictate the price. But it turned out that even the legendary wealth of the Hunts was not enough. In all, the Hunts brought about 150 million ounces (4,665.5 tonnes) of

physical silver into their possession. In addition, they acquired about 200 million ounces of silver on the commodity futures exchanges. And of course, this had an effect.

The price of silver rose – between 1 January 1979 and 18 January 1980, it rose from $6.08 to $49.45 per troy ounce.

And that affected the issuing policies of virtually all nations that issued circulating commemorative coins. Circulating commemorative coins, in contrast to collector coins, are coins that anyone can exchange for the nominal price at banks and savings banks. The collector coin, on the other hand, is minted in a special quality (such as proof) for a higher issue price.

At that time, the German commemorative coins contained 7 g of fine silver. At a silver price of $6.08 per ounce, this corresponded to a material value of about $1.37. At a silver price of $49.45, the value of each piece would have risen to $11.13.

At that time, the dollar fluctuated around 1.8 DM – so calculate for yourself what an enormous profit a bank employee could have made, if instead of issuing a few commemorative Otto Hahn coins to his customers, he had instead melted them down abroad for his own account.

And indeed, the German Bundesbank and the Ministry of Finance could also calculate. And so, despite the widespread fury among collectors, they had the roughly 800,000 commemorative coins melted down again at the Stuttgart mint. Otto Hahn was newly issued from Magnimat, a layered material in which a strip of nickel is plated on both sides with a cupro-nickel alloy of 75% copper and 25% nickel. The pieces look almost like the silver ones, except that the small mintmark “G” of the Karlsruhe mint is in a slightly different position and the coin weighs 10 g instead of 11.20 g.

And that’s what the disappointed collectors had to be content with. For years, collectors’ coins were made of Magnimat. It was not until 1987 that the circulating commemorative coins were again struck in silver, but then with a higher nominal value of 10 DM, although with an only slightly increased silver content of 9.69 g.

By the way, the 5 DM commemorative coin “Otto Hahn” offered at Künker was not stolen by any mint employee, but was officially put into circulation through the diplomatic corps, according to the National Analysis Centre of the Bundesbank.

You can therefore acquire this testimonial to contemporary history without hesitation.

Ursula Kampmann

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KÜNKER Exklusiv

Edition 05/2023

New publication of important numismatic literature on Southwest Germany T

he well-known numismatist Dr Karl Weisenstein has written an extensive and comprehensively-illustrated essay on the coinage of Germany’s Rhineland-Palatinate and the (now) French Alsace, “Die kleinen Münzstätten der Pfalz und des Elsass”.

The author combines aspects of regional history, numismatics, and family history of these closely interlocked neighbouring regions into a very interesting new overall picture. In the process, older accounts are corrected in several places.

The staffs of the mints not only changed their places of work quite often, but were also directly related to each other in many cases.

Palatinate-Zweibrücken, Palatinate-Veldenz and HanauLichtenberg were highly successful and ran very profitable operations on both sides of today’s German/French border, sometimes operating several mints in quick succession.

Their high point was the 17th century with its numerous wars.

A bibliography of more than nine pages and a wealth of footnotes provide the documentation for the essay.

The chairperson of the Palatine numismatists, Alois Schneider, has also written a numismatic essay for the anthology Vestigia III entitled “Münzen und Medaillen aus dem Westrich”. He covers a wide range, from the Sickingen medal of 1518 to the Luther medal by Otto Kallenbach of 1983, with a focus on the works of Johann Weihinger (I.M.) from the PalatinateZweibrück.

The double volume VESTIGIA III, compiled by Mathias Gaschott and Jochen Roth, is published by Conte-Verlag St. Ingbert and costs 86 euros in a slipcase.

ISBN 978-3-95602-260-9.

Interested parties can order the work here.

Our auction shipping logistics – some insight O

ur auction shipping logistics play an important role in the safe and efficient management of our auctions. The coins you purchase from us usually have a long history as coveted collectors’ items, and their unique characteristics deserve special care and expertise in handling and transport. We’d like to give you some insight into the journey a coin travels via our shipping logistics, before you have it in your hands at home.

As soon as our high-quality auction catalogues have been laid out and printed, they are sent to our customers all over the world. Then – usually six weeks before the auction – the preparation for viewing begins in our house.

The auction coins can be physically inspected by our customers in the run-up to the auction. If you’ve discovered an interesting object in the catalogue, you can come to us on Nobbenburger Straße in Osnabrück after prior registration, and examine the piece in detail. If you are a successful bidder during the auction, the coin will be delivered to your home.

This requires the participation of many busy hands, beginning on the first day after the auction. Before the coins are shipped, they are first checked to ensure that they are the correct pieces for each individual bidder. They are then carefully packed. As a rule, these are individual pieces which, in the first step, receive secure inner packaging to prevent slippage and pressure marks. For postal- and parcel delivery, neutral outer packaging is added. The type and methods of packaging depend mainly on the size of the goods.

As a rule, these are individual pieces which, in the first step, receive secure inner packaging to prevent slippage and pressure marks.

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But how does the finished package get to your home? The choice of transport service providers depends on the value of the goods and their destination.

The choices range from parcel services and value carriers to air freight, whereby passenger planes deliver consignments of valuables to certain areas. Throughout the entire shipping process, all bureaucratic requirements are of course carefully met. After our many years of experience, transfer lists to parcel services; export declarations to customs officials for shipments to third countries; other declarations for certain coins and countries; export permits and compliance with import bans, etc, are just as much a part of our daily business as the packaging of the coin itself.

Finally, you hold your package in your hands at home, and we celebrate with you over your newly-acquired collector item.

Werner Lamprecht

Impressum Herausgeber Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co. KG Nobbenburger Straße 4a 49076 Osnabrück www.kuenker.de Redaktion Julia Kröner, Inja MacClure

Gestaltung Helge Lewandowsky V.i.S.d.P. Ulrich Künker Druck Druck- und Verlagshaus Fromm+Rasch GmbH & Co.KG www.frommrasch.de