Brands & collecting accessories
Leuchtturm
LEUCHTTURM is one of the world's best-known brands of collecting accessories. In philately and numismatics it has built its name on quality, long service life and the ability to build on its own tradition without losing continuity.
For coin collectors, the brand matters above all for its wide range of systems for storing, protecting and presenting material — from albums and boxes to capsules, magnifiers and specialist catalogues.
History of KABE and LEUCHTTURM
The roots of the whole tradition reach back to 1917, when the publishing house KABE was founded in the German town of Aschersleben. The name came from its founders, Koch and Bein, and the company focused from the start on high-quality albums and accessories for stamp collectors, and later coin collectors as well.
In the 1930s the original company went through changes of ownership, and after the Second World War Paul Koch founded a new firm in Hamburg, already known under the name LEUCHTTURM. It continued in the same discipline: quality collector albums, systems and an expert foundation for demanding collectors.
The original KABE meanwhile survived the war years and later reorganisations. Although the two firms operated separately, they cooperated over the long term, sharing development, know-how and production experience. In 1997 they were fully joined and the two historical lines were reunited.
Three pillars of the brand's success
Editorial and expert work
A strong specialist editorial team produces catalogues, albums and detailed information across many collecting fields. LEUCHTTURM therefore sells not only products but also know-how and service.
Production and quality
The company has long kept control over a substantial part of its production. This lets it respond flexibly to market needs and maintain a high standard of workmanship and protection of collector material.
Sales and customer service
The brand builds direct relationships with dealers and collectors and operates internationally. Alongside product quality, it places great weight on reliability, delivery speed and long-term customer care.
KABE as the premium brand within LEUCHTTURM
After the two firms merged, the KABE name did not vanish from the collecting world. On the contrary, it was kept as the premium brand within the wider LEUCHTTURM programme. KABE retained its own character, in particular through precise workmanship, double cloth bindings and its distinctive "bi-collect" collector system.
For long-standing collectors it also matters that newer products build on earlier system ranges. This makes it possible to combine older and newer accessories without losing continuity of the collection — and that long-term compatibility is exceptionally important for collecting accessories.
Present and future of the brand
Today LEUCHTTURM is based near Hamburg and ranks among the world leaders in collecting systems for numismatics and philately. The brand draws on a combination of family stability, technical development and the ability to respond to current market needs.
Its philosophy is straightforward and clear to collectors: offer everything needed for safe, systematic and long-term building of a collection. That is why LEUCHTTURM holds a strong position with coin collectors who want not only to own material but also to store and present it properly.
Official brand information is also available on the website of LEUCHTTURM.