Hessen Officially Donates Becker's Historical Forging Stamps to Berliner Münzkabinett

The transfer of nearly 600 coin-forging stamps cements their role in research and education on historical forgery as part of a major Berlin exhibition.

• Hessen has transferred ownership of nearly 600 historical coin-forging stamps by Carl Wilhelm Becker to the Berliner Münzkabinett after over a century on long-term loan.
• The stamps are now a centerpiece in the Münzkabinett's exhibition 'Lange Finger – Falsche Münzen,' which explores the history and challenges of coin forgery.
• Carl Wilhelm Becker, a 19th-century forger, is regarded as Germany’s most infamous counterfeiter of ancient coins, with his forgeries still appearing undetected at auctions today.
• The Münzkabinett’s acquisition of Becker’s diaries in 2023 prompted the formal request for ownership transfer, which Hessen approved to strengthen cultural preservation efforts.
• Cultural leaders emphasize the donation's importance for numismatic research and its role in confronting the historical and ongoing impacts of forgery.

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