March 2025 – This article is only available in English
Once again, our coin specialist Bas Klein has curated an excellent selection of coins for us. Bas has always been captivated by the rich stories and historic significance behind each coin. To him, a coin is a snapshot of history, culture, and the intriguing personalities behind it. In this article, he shares his insights on three extraordinary pieces in our current auction: a Polish-Lithuanian coin with a notably plump king, a Roman coin showcasing the self-absorbed Nero and a German coin symbolizing hope for peace.
A fat king with food-poisoning
As a studied historian, Bas has a gift for uncovering history’s most captivating tales. When discussing coins, he typically begins with the basics, such as age and origin, but inevitably comes up with fascinating, often funny historical trivia. Take lot 402, a gold medal from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth commemorating the Polish–Ottoman War (1672-1676). The war started under king Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki (1640–1673), also known as King Michael I. Bas: “This gold medal shows the king’s portrait, including his prominent double chin. The Latin phrase DONEC IMPLEAT ORBEM translates as ‘Till it fills the world’, which I find very ironic as King Michael was unapologetically fat and died under mysterious circumstances – most likely food poisoning.”
Arrogance buried in ashes
For Bas, lot 444, featuring the infamous Roman emperor Nero, is a remarkable piece of history for multiple reasons. “Known for his controversial reign, Nero was highly self-absorbed and obsessed with his image,” says Bas. “On this coin, he is depicted twice: once as a laureate head on the obverse, and again as a divine figure on the reverse.” This coin is believed to be part of the legendary Boscoreale treasure, discovered in 1895 at the Villa della Pisanella near Pompeii. The hoard, buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, consists of Roman coins, jewelry and silverware. Bas adds, “The heat from the volcanic ash is still visible in the coin’s colored patina. History doesn’t get much more tangible than this.”
Hope and desire for peace
Another coin brimming with gripping stories is lot 539. Bas: “This is an outstanding example of Nürnberg’s famous minting history and contains a lot of symbolism.” It was designed in 1700 and served as a presentation piece for the magistrates of the city, designed to express the hope that the new century would be less warlike than the previous: “On the obverse, the lamb of God over the globe, holding a peace banner. The Latin text TEMPORA NOSTRA PATER DONATA PACE CORONA translates to ‘Father Crown Our Times With The Gift Of Peace’. On the reverse Nürnberg’s three coats of arms, crowned by a dove with olive branch – the universal symbol of peace.”
Reflecting on the shared message of these three coins, Bas remarks: “Whether it’s a vain emperor, a plump king, or a city’s prayer for peace, these coins remind us that human nature hasn’t changed much over the centuries. But perhaps most relevant today is this last coin’s message – the eternal hope for peace. Its plea for peace resonates as strongly in 2025 as it did over three centuries ago.”
