Articles on books of the MoneyMuseum.

When princes collected coins, they mostly did this for one of two reasons: to enhance prestige or because they were passionate collectors. Anton Günther II, Count of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen-Arnstadt, did it for both reasons. Nevertheless, he sold his spectacular collection to Gotha.

When Lessing brought his Nathan the Wise to the stage, the public immediately knew who the model for his main character was: the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, the most famous German Jew at the time. A Karlsruhe publisher seized the opportunity and printed a pirated edition of his works.

The author of this book wasn’t just anyone: Sylvius Nimrod went to the Thirty Years’ War as a landless nobleman. When the war was over, he had become Duke of Württemberg-Oels. He wrote down everything he learned during the terrifying sieges of the war in this manual of artillery.

Investing money wasn’t exactly his forte. Writing about it was. In his short stories, Mark Twain masterfully pictures American capitalism in the 20th century.

Machiavelli’s works on political philosophy like “The Prince” are still popular and frequently quoted today. Also in late 17th century England his works were in demand – for political considerations.