35 years of girl power
The Leipzig coin dealer is unique, if only because of its name. No one insists as stubbornly as Christina and Saskia Höhn that the full name “Leipziger Münzhandlung und Auktion Heidrun Höhn e. K.” be used in all texts. Together with their father Manfred Höhn, the two successfully run the only international coin auction house that has been able to establish itself in the now not-so-new federal states.
Leipziger Münzhandlung (Leipzig Coin Dealers) – we will take the liberty of abbreviating the long name – was founded by a particularly strong woman, Heidrun Höhn. Born in 1949, the numismatist had been interested in coins since her early youth. She was involved in the Kulturbund (Cultural Association), which was essential for all collectors in the GDR at the time. She initially took on the role of chair of the district numismatics committee in the district of Gera; later, she became a member of the central numismatics committee of the federal executive committee. She succeeded in turning her passion into her profession. From 1986, she headed the numismatics department at the State Art Trade of the GDR. Shortly afterwards, the fall of the Berlin Wall occurred. It was clear that the State Art Trade would soon cease to exist. Heidrun Höhn drew the obvious conclusion: on July 1, 1990, she founded her own coin dealership. Her husband Manfred Höhn and her two daughters supported her unconditionally. Her first premises were in the Fregehaus, a baroque merchant’s house in the center of Leipzig.
Success soon followed, as Heidrun Höhn had an excellent network. Now she was able to help all her collectors finally build the collections they had been denied during the GDR era. The fact that the “Saxony” collection area is still booming today is due in no small part to the efforts of Heidrun Höhn. The Höhn family held their first auction in June 1991. In 1993, the Leipzig coin dealer joined the IAPN. At the same time, the whole family remained closely rooted in the local collector community.
2010 marked a major turning point. Heidrun Höhn died on October 20, 2010, after a long and serious illness. This gave her time to prepare for the transition of the coin business to her two daughters. Saskia and Christina Höhn had learned the business from scratch with her. Now, at a young age, they were already sharing full responsibility with their father Manfred. Since then, they have been jointly leading the Leipzig coin business into a new, digital era. While the brick-and-mortar store – located at Nikolaistraße 25 since 2004 – was still the most important point of contact when the business was founded, today the online shop, which currently offers over 3,000 items, generates a large part of the sales. The buyer base for the auctions has also become much more international since Saskia and Christina Höhn introduced live bidding in 2021. Speaking of which, Leipziger Münzhandlung has now reached auction no. 109. It will take place together with the e-live auction from November 12 to 16, 2025. As always, a colorful potpourri of numismatic items will be on offer, with a focus on Germany and especially Saxony. Whether coins, medals, banknotes, or medals, Leipziger Münzhandlung covers the entire spectrum.
Success soon followed, as Heidrun Höhn had an excellent network. Now she was able to help all her collectors finally build the collections they had been denied during the GDR era. The fact that the “Saxony” collection area is still booming today is due in no small part to the efforts of Heidrun Höhn. The Höhn family held their first auction in June 1991. In 1993, the Leipzig coin dealer joined the IAPN. At the same time, the whole family remained closely rooted in the local collector community.
Leipziger Münzhandlung has always seen it as its responsibility to support the dissemination of numismatic knowledge. MünzenWoche also benefits from this. We are delighted that Leipziger Münzhandlung is a silver sponsor of MünzenWoche. The collaboration dates back to 2003, a time when MünzenWoche did not yet exist. At that time, I was developing numismatic teaching materials on behalf of Klett-Verlag. After reunification, the publisher had moved back from Stuttgart to its old home in Leipzig, so I had the opportunity to visit Leipziger Münzhandlung after a conference with the publisher. Heidrun Höhn immediately ordered a large quantity of the teaching materials and has been supporting my work ever since. Of course, she was also one of the first to attend MünzenWoche.
I will never forget how, back in 2003, the entire Höhn family spontaneously changed their schedule for the day when I visited. Manfred Höhn took over my tour of Leipzig, and I spent an unforgettable evening with the whole family. The hospitality, humanity, and warmth I experienced then have remained with me, no matter which coin exchange I meet Christina and Saskia at today. I am therefore particularly pleased to congratulate two amazing power women on the 35th anniversary of their Leipzig coin dealership (I know, I know) and auction house Heidrun Höhn e. K.!
Click here to visit the website of the Leipzig coin dealership
Text and images: Ursula Kampmann
