Wenceslas IV
Wenceslas IV (1361–1419) was a Bohemian and Roman king of the House of Luxembourg whose reign was marked by political instability and the beginnings of the Hussite revolution.
Numismatic encyclopaedia
The AUREA numismatic encyclopaedia explains the terms you meet in catalogues and in the saleroom — obverse and reverse, fineness and hallmarks, grades of preservation, starting price, bid increment and auctioneer. Besides terminology it carries entries on rulers, mints and the historical events that shaped what was struck. Entries are arranged alphabetically and cross-linked.
West Point Mint
West Point Mint. The West Point Mint is the youngest of the four active mints of the United States, officially elevated to mint status in 1988, which specialises in the striking of investment and collector coins of…
Western Roman Empire
Western Roman Empire. The Western Roman Empire was the western part of the Roman Empire that existed from the division of the empire in 395 to the fall of the last emperor Romulus Augustulus in 476. This epoch saw the…
What determines the value of a coin
The value of a coin is a complex price determined by a combination of factors such as rarity, preservation, collector demand and historical significance.
White Groschen
White Groschen. The white groschen is a silver coin struck in the Bohemian lands from 1573 as a smaller denomination connected with the renewal of the thaler currency. It was first struck by Emperor Maximilian II, and…
White Pfennig
White Pfennig. The white pfennig is a small silver coin of the Bohemian lands, introduced under the reign of Vladislaus II Jagiellon. It was mostly a one-sided strike intended for everyday circulation. In value it…
Wiener Philharmoniker
Wiener Philharmoniker. The Wiener Philharmoniker is an investment gold coin issued by the Austrian Mint and one of the best-known bullion strikings in the world. It bears motifs of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and…
William Ernest of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
William Ernest of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. William Ernest of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1876–1923) was the last reigning grand duke of the small Thuringian state of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. He reigned from 1901 to 1918, supported…
William I of Orange
William I of Orange. William I of Orange (1533–1584), known as the Silent, was a Dutch statesman and leader of the revolt against Spanish rule, which set in motion the emergence of an independent Netherlands. As…
William I of Prussia
William I of Prussia. William I of Prussia was Prussian king (1861–1888) and from 1871 the first German emperor, under whose rule a unified Germany emerged. He entered history as a monarch who based the state's power…
William II of Württemberg
William II of Württemberg. William II of Württemberg was the last king of Württemberg, who reigned from 1891 to 1918 within the German Empire. During his rule the country changed under the influence of the modern age,…
William of Rosenberg
William of Rosenberg. William of Rosenberg (1535–1592) was the most prominent representative of the Rosenberg family in the 16th century, a magnate of the Kingdom of Bohemia and a long-standing pillar of the provincial…
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill. Winston Churchill (1874-1965) was a British politician, statesman and writer who became a symbol of the United Kingdom's resistance to Nazi Germany. As Prime Minister in the years 1940-1945 and again…
Witten
Witten. The witten (also witte, wittenpfennig or veerling) was a mediaeval North German coin which represented the value of four pfennigs. The popular name was connected with its "white" appearance, which arose from…
Władysław I the Elbow-high
Władysław I the Elbow-high. Władysław I the Elbow-high was a Polish king reigning in the years 1320 to 1333, who after years of fragmentation restored the Polish kingdom and the royal crown. His nickname Łokietek in…
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson. Woodrow Wilson was the 28th president of the United States (1913-1921), who pushed through significant economic reforms and led the USA into the First World War. He became renowned for his programme of…
Worship Service
Worship service. A worship service is a religiously motivated gathering and ceremony at which the faithful collectively honour the deity, pray and celebrate rituals according to the tradition of the given faith. It may…
Writing
Writing. A system of graphic signs for recording language. The earliest attested Sumerian pictographic script from Uruk at the end of the 4th millennium BC (c. 3400–3200 BC) originally served for keeping economic…
Wroclaw Mint
Wroclaw Mint. The Wroclaw Mint (Polish: Wroclaw, German: Breslau) was an important Silesian mint, which struck coins for various rulers and administrative units from the Middle Ages to the modern period. Its production…
Württemberg
Württemberg. Württemberg is a historical land and former state in south-western Germany, whose core is the area around Stuttgart. In the Middle Ages it arose as a county, later transformed into a duchy and in the 19th…
Württemberg Mint
Württemberg Mint. The Württemberg Mint is a historical and current designation for the mint facility associated with the land of Württemberg, traditionally with Stuttgart. It struck land and later imperial coins and…
XRF analysis
XRF analysis is a non-destructive method used in numismatics to determine the exact chemical composition and purity of coins and other metal artefacts.
Yaroslav the Wise
Yaroslav the Wise. Yaroslav the Wise was the Grand Prince of Kyiv who ruled from 1019 to 1054, under whose rule Kyivan Rus' reached its greatest territorial extent and cultural flourishing. His reign represents the…
Yen
Yen. The yen (円) is the official currency of Japan and one of the most significant world currencies in international trade and finance. It is used in cash and non-cash form, divided into 100 sen and 1,000 rin, although…