On your blog I came across an article, roughly a year old, in which you advise readers where and how best to invest their money. One of your very first tips is the possibility of investing in art and collectibles. How has your view of the matter changed over the past year in response to the uncertainties brought about by rapid technological development and geopolitical change? Is it still worthwhile to invest in collectibles?

I believe it is. As an investor I focus on technology companies, where we often discuss the future of humanity against the backdrop of artificial-intelligence development, and to be honest I’m a little frightened by the side-effects—such as the disappearance of many jobs—and the impact they could have on our society. At the moment I’m setting up a new e-shop with a friend and discovering how many people we no longer need for the project. Those changes will carry society-wide consequences, so I’m somewhat sceptical. At the same time, though, I think a deeper retreat into the online world may lead us to value honest human craftsmanship and artistic work even more.

Could objects such as a thousand-year-old artefact really provide that escape from the digital world?

I like to watch sci-fi movies, and I can imagine that things made by human hands will appreciate in value compared with things made by machines. Picture holding an object on which, a thousand years ago, a master smith worked for many days and which was owned by several samurai before you… That is an experience no NFT can replace. So I certainly wouldn’t worry that such historical items might lose value.

In one interview you said that the free time likely to result from positions being replaced by artificial intelligence could generate greater demand for leisure activities, collecting included. But won’t financial insecurity undermine that? Do you think there will still be room in society for collecting?

In my opinion it depends above all on how governments respond to the problem. The question is whether the rise in unemployed—and essentially unemployable—people will lead, for example, to a universal basic income, or whether this development will fuel a new kind of entertainment industry in which we are plugged into virtual reality for extended periods. I can imagine a large part of our activity moving into such entertainment services. This has been happening for decades already as we gradually shift from agricultural positions into manufacturing and subsequently into entertainment spheres. Physical cash is also disappearing, which can create a feeling that you need to store your money in something that doesn’t lose value. Combined with the need to anchor ourselves in the physical environment through real handcrafted artefacts, I’m not worried about the future of collecting.

You personally focus on a very unique circle of collectibles. In addition to Czech denarii you are interested in Japanese swords and sword guards that stand out for their exquisite craftsmanship. What fascinates you most about these artefacts?

For me this passion is connected with continual self-education—looking for information, reading historical sources—and the artefacts themselves are more a tool that can connect me with the past. I’m very fond of both our history and Japanese history, and when I hold a beautiful object from a given period it’s as though I were part of it.

How did you come to your interest in Japanese swords?

Every guy wants a Japanese sword on the wall, right? laughs I’ve always liked Japanese martial arts and that gradually led to a broader interest in the culture. At first I told myself I’d buy one old sword—and that’s how the obsession began… It’s quite a complex topic and I try to go as deep as possible: I collect information about metallurgy, the decoration of swords and their fittings. I’m part of a Czech–Japanese society, so I treat it as a more profound fan hobby.

Japanese art and historical artefacts are, visually speaking, a highly distinctive and valued collecting commodity…

What I admire is the context of that era: in Japan they didn’t have the tools we have today, yet they created amazing hand-made details—I can’t understand how they managed it. Discovering those production processes is one of the most essential parts I admire. It’s often literally detective work that pulls me out of the online world.

Could you sell part of your collection if you had to?

Whenever I acquire a sword I tell myself it’s an investment. But when my girlfriend asked whom I would sell the sword to if that moment came, I had to be honest. In Czechia there are maybe five or six people who would buy it… So it’s certainly not as liquid a commodity as, for example, shares that I can sell the next day, but the swords are immensely valuable to me and if necessary I’d find a way to monetise them.

Denarii would surely be much easier to sell. According to the Livebid Index 2024, numismatics has held second place right after fine art in the long-term rankings, and last year the category accounted for almost 15.5 % of the entire auction market. Which specific denarii do you focus on?

Yes, coins are much more positive where liquidity is concerned. Not long ago I was bidding on particular pieces on Livebid, like one of Boleslava Chrabrého. Auctions are a very interesting phenomenon—you stop controlling yourself under the influence of adrenaline and simply surrender to emotion. It’s really hard not to let someone outbid you.

You not only collect coins but sell them as well. Relatively recently you founded the e-shop Mincmistr, where you combine your collecting passion with your entrepreneurial experience.

I like building things. When I was twenty I built a fairly large gaming portal, then I had various e-shops and later a women’s magazine, which led me to a partner with whom we developed Shoptet. What I enjoyed most at Shoptet was designing a functional system based on real customer needs and then putting it together with developers. I’m doing the same now on Mincmistr with a good friend who has been in numismatics much longer than I have. He understands the field and everything around purchasing; I understand online marketing. At the moment most numismatic sales happen on Aukro, through various Facebook groups or auction houses, and our plan was to reach younger generations who shop on e-commerce sites. And it’s great finally to create a product from the customer’s perspective. I absolutely love it.

It’s true that numismatics currently appeals mainly to older generations. How do you plan to reach the younger ones?

We’re building on the link between investment and the discovery of historical stories, creating contexts between artefacts and their history. We try to explain concepts thoroughly, present the stories of historical figures who appear on the coins, the minting procedures of the time, and so forth. In my opinion the fact that Roman emperors were among the first collectors is a super-cool topic. So we’re aiming to create an educational platform for those who are not very versed in the field but want to invest beyond the classic commodities, such as a little gold bar. Many people think about buying some precious metal, and this is a way to show them that with historical value such a commodity has much greater investment and personal power.

As an e-commerce expert, how would you assess the potential of online collecting? Is it necessary to see artefacts in person?

Online sales depend greatly on the quality of photos and descriptions, because you can’t get much more information into the virtual space. If that information is well prepared, I definitely don’t see a problem—especially for younger generations. Many older numismatists have to touch the coin, but that’s changing fast. In the USA, for instance, expensive pieces can hardly be bought any more without certification and protective cases; collectors there are used to it and I think that trend will eventually reach us as well.

What is your greatest collecting dream—whether online or in person—that you hope one day to fulfil?

Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but with swords I focus on one specific swordsmith and his ten disciples, and it’s not easy to get a sword from that workshop—we’re talking about pieces worth tens of millions of crowns. Long ago I decided I would have a sword from all ten, and right now I have nine of them. So I hope that one day, when I’ve made a huge amount of money and fortune smiles on me, I’ll buy that famous Masamune and tell no one. laughs

As for coins, I certainly have a few tips for rare pieces that are hard to find. I would love to have a complete collection of denarii of every ruler; for instance, I’m missing a denarius of Princess Emma and other pieces that, if you don’t come across them on Livebid once in a while, you simply can’t get. But I’m persevering.