The hidden stories of banknotes, brought to you by Alessandro Fiamingo.

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Coins and banknotes are like a portal into society, art, culture and economy.

When Alessandro was 7 years old, his father dug up an old coin in the garden. Seeing a man with a moustache on the obverse and the year 1861 on the reverse set his imagination into overdrive. A portrait of a sheriff! It must come from the Wild West era, back when this backyard was a desert! Or at least that’s what his young mind envisioned. In hindsight, that 10 cent Vittorio Emanuele II coin sparked a lifelong interest. Now an avid collector, buyer and seller of numismatics, imagining life in bygone eras is still at the core of his passion. How many hands have these coins passed? How many years have they survived? His masters degrees in Art History and Chemistry taught him excellent classifying skills, and a background in competitive fencing provides the focus and collaborative spirit to support buyers and sellers from around the world. At Catawiki, one of the most impressive objects he came across so far was an Italian banknote from 1746. Worth a staggering 1000 francs, it would be equivalent to the cost of a large city centre apartment today. You’ll find Alessandro in the Banknotes category.

When Alessandro was 7 years old, his father dug up an old coin in the garden. Seeing a man with a moustache on the obverse and the year 1861 on the reverse set his imagination into overdrive. A portrait of a sheriff! It must come from the Wild West era, back when this backyard was a desert! Or at least that’s what his young mind envisioned. In hindsight, that 10 cent Vittorio Emanuele II coin sparked a lifelong interest. Now an avid collector, buyer and seller of numismatics, imagining life in bygone eras is still at the core of his passion. How many hands have these coins passed? How many years have they survived? His masters degrees in Art History and Chemistry taught him excellent classifying skills, and a background in competitive fencing provides the focus and collaborative spirit to support buyers and sellers from around the world. At Catawiki, one of the most impressive objects he came across so far was an Italian banknote from 1746. Worth a staggering 1000 francs, it would be equivalent to the cost of a large city centre apartment today. You’ll find Alessandro in the Banknotes category.

  • M.A. in Art History M.Sc. in Chemistry 10+ years as conservation scientist at Vatican museums a.o. Trades numismatics since 2015 Specialises in specimens, ancient fakes and irregular issues
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When Alessandro was 7 years old, his father dug up an old coin in the garden. Seeing a man with a moustache on the obverse and the year 1861 on the reverse set his imagination into overdrive. A portrait of a sheriff! It must come from the Wild West era, back when this backyard was a desert! Or at least that’s what his young mind envisioned. In hindsight, that 10 cent Vittorio Emanuele II coin sparked a lifelong interest. Now an avid collector, buyer and seller of numismatics, imagining life in bygone eras is still at the core of his passion. How many hands have these coins passed? How many years have they survived? His masters degrees in Art History and Chemistry taught him excellent classifying skills, and a background in competitive fencing provides the focus and collaborative spirit to support buyers and sellers from around the world. At Catawiki, one of the most impressive objects he came across so far was an Italian banknote from 1746. Worth a staggering 1000 francs, it would be equivalent to the cost of a large city centre apartment today. You’ll find Alessandro in the Banknotes category.

When Alessandro was 7 years old, his father dug up an old coin in the garden. Seeing a man with a moustache on the obverse and the year 1861 on the reverse set his imagination into overdrive. A portrait of a sheriff! It must come from the Wild West era, back when this backyard was a desert! Or at least that’s what his young mind envisioned. In hindsight, that 10 cent Vittorio Emanuele II coin sparked a lifelong interest. Now an avid collector, buyer and seller of numismatics, imagining life in bygone eras is still at the core of his passion. How many hands have these coins passed? How many years have they survived? His masters degrees in Art History and Chemistry taught him excellent classifying skills, and a background in competitive fencing provides the focus and collaborative spirit to support buyers and sellers from around the world. At Catawiki, one of the most impressive objects he came across so far was an Italian banknote from 1746. Worth a staggering 1000 francs, it would be equivalent to the cost of a large city centre apartment today. You’ll find Alessandro in the Banknotes category.

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