Learn more about the professional background of Sebastian Wieschowski and his experiences as an author in the fields of numismatics and precious metals.
Now …
Bullion and numismatics author from 2012
- since 01/2017: Battenberg Gietl Publishing - MuenzenRevue / Muenzen&Sammeln - author and reporter
- 01/2013 - 07/2015: gold.de - Newsdesk author, daily coverage of financial news, background articles on gold and silver bullion
- 03/2012 - 01/2014: Muenzen Journal - Author for numismatic topics with a special focus on precious metals and Euro coins
- 01/2012 - 12/2013: Money Trend - Project manager "Goldblatt - journal for precious metal investors" - editorial work, ad sales, design, talent relations
- since 2012: support of precious metal dealers in the field of marketing and public relations
Rushing Reporter from 2007 to 2012
- During my professional journalistic formation, I was working as an author and reporter for nationwide publications, publishing more than 800 articles with a special focus on private finance for Springer Publishing house.
- I was on the road for national online-media such as "Spiegel Online" as a reporter in all parts of Germany, also covering cultural topics for renowned German weekly "Die Zeit".
- My report about the Winnenden school schooting was nominated for "Theodor-Wolff-Preis", the most coveted award in the German press landscape. I was also awarded with the "Culture price" of Rotary Mittelholstein for excellent journalistic achievements.
Apprenticeship years from 2005 to 2011
Not only am I a passonate writer since my childhood days, I have been extensively trained as a journalist. The extent of my professional background is unique in the numismatics field in Germany:
- From 2005 to 2007, I attended Cologne Journalist School with a focus on politics and economy.
- From 2007 to 2011 I attended the School of Journalism at Eichstaett University, graduating with a diploma (Masters equivalent) in communication science with minors in politics and history.
- From 2008 to 2010, I completed a part-time professional training ("Volontariat") at "Schleswig-Holsteinischer Zeitungsverlag", graduating as a daily newspaper journalist ("Redakteur").
… and then.
A young journalist with decades of experience in numismatics - that is impossible?
No, it isn’t, for someone who started collecting coins at the age of six and publishes his first article in a coin magazine at age sixteen.
I told my story of becoming a coin collector in the 2/2002 issue of the "German Coin magazine". Back in the days, I always heard the following sentence: "Coin collecting is stupid, that is something for bores." For me, coin collecting was anything but dull. And the "German Coin Magazine", in spite of my young age of 16 years, called me an "old hand".
For as long as I can remember, the little pieces of pennies and marks had fascinated me.
The first "real" one-mark-piece, which I already knew from play money as a titch, I held enthusiastically in my hands, looked at it from all sides, and finally put it into a small "savings book" made by my grandmother. Holding a golden farewell mark in my hands ten years later in 2001 was an experience that I had been dreaming about for all my life. Some years later, I also discovered various heads on the heavy silverlings of my coin collection, not aware at that time of the historical figures.
As with many other passinate coin collectors, previous generations led me to the hobby - the exchange between the junior numismatics and experienced collectors has since been a central motif of my journalistic work.
One day, my father brought out a mysteriously looking cigar case, which was surely much older than me. I opened this treasure chest, and found many miraculous things: a banknote of 10,000 marks. "Gee, people must have been rich in the old days," I thought. And some small 1/2 mark-pieces ... "90 years old ... older than my grandparents". And a few ten-pennies, which looked exactly like our present-day dimes at first sight - but there was a strange bird and a wreath on the back instead of the little tree. What was that? I found out very soon.
My collection was stimulated by exciting stories and colorful pictures - without coin magazines, the collection would have been half as much fun.
When a nice old gentleman gave me a thick stack of coin magazines, which were all too heavy for me to carry by myself, and when I bought some catalogs from the seventies for a few cents, the foundation for my "small collection" was established. But what should a small boy with a weekly pocket money of 5 Marks collect? The German Empire? Far too expensive ... the German Federal Republic coins? Interesting, but also too expensive. One day I fulfilled my longing desire and obtained a three-mark-piece with the German Emperor's head for 25 Marks. I marvelously admired my first imperial coin from all sides.
However, I felt like most young collectors - the passion is great, but the pocket small. Only after many years, when I was 15, I really got it going. I got more pocket money, put back a lot, and managed to complete my "Prussian collection" through my second passion, journalism.
For these pieces of history I gladly gave my money, for it was somehow special to be in possession of these contemporary witnesses. The "Coronation" of the Kaiserreich collection was a 3-Mark-piece of Anhalt from 1909 and 20 Goldmark from Prussia. And when in August 2001 I was so lucky buying five golden farewell stamps at the issue price with two village banks, I took advantage of this fortune. I thought back to my first Mark, how special and fascinating it was to look at them from all sides.
Ten years later I was holding the golden "Deutsche Mark" farewell coins in my hand and wondering how time passes by. I heard my friends say "coin collecting is something for bores" and imagined how I would look in 50 years as an old man and passionate collector in a DMM, read my reader's report and remeber my time as a young enthusiastic collector.
That was in 2002 - a lot has happened since then. The introduction of the euro has led to a renaissance of numismatics in Germany. The precious metal boom has drawn the interest of people of all ages for gold and silver coins. You can find out more about my further journalistic path in my Vita.