Finally, the coin fair is back to Berlin!
Already last year, the Summer World Money Fair started as a presence event, which, however, could not completely convince. Looking back, this year's fair was all the more successful. Due to personal circumstances, we were only on site for the whole day on Saturday and here only with the standard tickets. We arrived in Berlin on Friday evening, the weather was a bit stormy, but the mild winter meant well and the streets were free of snow. In the reception hall of the Estrel Hotel we checked in, the overnight stay cost exactly €200.
As our gaze wandered towards to the coin show, there came a sense of wonder and a smile at the same time. The ticket sales were elaborately decorated, the 50th World Money Fair was displayed on all monitors and the entrance to the fair itself was festively designed for the anniversary fair. Many visitors, exhibitors and dealers came to meet us nobly dressed. From that point on, we knew the coin fair had returned in its perfect glory. After unloading our luggage, we made ourselves comfortable in the hotel's own bar with a cold beer. Thereby we had conversations with an old collector friend and as usual from the years before, it was mainly about numismatics. Praiseworthy mention should be made at this point of the very polite nature of the staff of the Estrel Hotel.
On Saturday, as on the other days, the fair opened its doors punctually at 08:00 a.m. for the trade visitors. The ticket required for this for the trade visitor cost €100 for all three days together and enabled the early search and dealing of coveted coins or served the queuing for a special new issue. Half an hour before the official start of the fair, hardly any visitors were present. This changed shortly before the opening at at 10:00 a.m., here the complete entrance area was finally overrun. After the ticket was digitally scanned, the long-awaited visit to the fair began.
After admission, many collectors ran at top speed to the main hall to get hold of limited fair releases. Of the usual 350 exhibitors, about 300 were present. The resulting free space was cleverly compensated with slightly wider aisles and additional meeting areas. The total number of visitors to the fair was only slightly less than in previous years. For the upcoming World Money Fair 2024, despite some price increases for exhibitors and visitors, I am sure that the fair will resume to the times before Corona.
Many of the additional side events have been cancelled due to some uncertainties that still existed in the run-up, including the famous Coin of the Year Award Ceremony. The COTY award ceremony, for the most innovative coins of a minting year, will not return to Berlin until 2024. Most exhibitors had carried over their presentation booth from 2020, or in some cases reduced it in size. The booth of the Chinese mint was taken over by MDM as a representative. No particular country was represented as a special guest of honor at the anniversary fair this time. For the next fair, France will appear with this title. The universally appreciated souvenirs in the form of giveaways were mainly available on Friday, and from Saturday onwards the rest were distributed under the table.
In the main hall there were some interesting points of contact for the numismatist, where the greatest haste was required. For next year many visitors will therefore plan a fixed sequence. The longest queue formed in front of the Belgian mint, which had the 2023 "shrimp croquettes" coin set on offer for €25 (auction proceeds up to €200). The acquisition of the Belgian Euro coin set was almost exclusively possible only by early admission in connection with the trade visitor ticket. Right on the opposing side was the Euro coin set from the Netherlands, which was also offered for €25 (auction proceeds up to €145). The latest 2023 coin set from Japan for the World Money Fair, with a lunar medal for the Year of the Rabbit, was already available for €20 (auction proceeds up to €125). The colored fair Kookaburra from the Perth Mint Australia was offered for €67 (auction proceeds up to €160) and could only be purchased with an existing credit card. The lowest-priced 1 oz silver coin Bull & Bear from Tokelau was offered for €25. A much sought-after gift came from the mint of France, which had distributed a medal with the motif for the 50th anniversary of the World Money Fair free of charge. At the Professional Association of the German Coin Trade (Berufsverband des Deutschen Münzenfachhandels e.V.), each visitor was given a 10-cent coin of the new euro-issuing country Croatia.
What slipped under the radar of some visitors to the fair was the release of the officially licensed World Money Fair Berlin Panda of the current year 2023. By the strongly limited and additionally lowered mintage to only 200 pieces, in contrast to the 2020 release with 500 pieces, this year's Show Panda Medal represents the highlight of the series. In this complete series, the 2023 Show Panda, with all of its various mint variants, has the lowest total mintage to date. For the 2024 World Money Fair, the mintage quantity of the Show-Panda-Medals will increase to 300 pieces. Based on my previous article on the fair panda in the social media, which at the same time had spread in leading German collector forums, the interested collector could well prepare for a purchase. Our readers were on site on Friday at the booth of the auction house Kuenker and got here per person, due to an existing sales limit, up to two of the popular Show Panda Medals. Almost record-breaking, the 1 oz silver fair panda for €99 (auction proceeds up to €300) was completely sold out in less than three hours. The sell-out of the 8-gram silver variant for €45 (auction proceeds up to €189) followed on Saturday shortly after the start of the fair.
During the fair, many visitors asked dealers if they might still have a piece of the sold-out Show-Panda-Medal on sale. Collectors of Chinese numismatics expect a very stable price trend. The overwhelming success of the Berlin Show Panda has significantly increased the auction prices of the previous releases and even the Munich Show Pandas, which date back to the 1990s. We will soon be able to offer a few pieces of the current Show Panda variant in copper-gilt exclusively at the first issue price.
The anniversary coin pass for visiting the various issuing countries at the fair was available for €10. Each holder received a circulation coin from the mints and additionally a stamp into the collection album.
At the fair, in addition to the mints, there were also numerous coin and banknote dealers with their assortment. Coins for a bargain price were hardly to be found. The selection of Chinese coins and medals was also vanishingly small. At one booth, I spotted an inferior cast counterfeit of the 1988 "40th Anniversary of the People's Bank" 1-yuan coin. According to the dealer's erroneous statement, this coin had probably been in circulation for some time, but then immediately disappeared from the exhibition table. Wealthy numismatists have stocked the dealers' tables with countless bundles of money for rare coins. This prosperity and the valuable coins attracted an Arab clan, which, according to a police report, took a closer look. Presumably, therefore, the 2024 World Money Fair will be topped up quite a bit in terms of security.
The Technical Forum was placed in the new Auditorium building. The Auditorium was freely accessible and left a lasting impression with its modern design. Altogether for exploring, the Estrel Congress Center now offers a proud 30,000 square meters of exhibition space. The air-conditioned technic hall was almost empty at the time of our visit, apart from the exhibitors present. This could be improved in the future with a visitor magnet.
Graded coins from NGC or PCGS are now more and more common in Berlin. The eye-catching booth of NGC was always highly frequented, in contrast to the somewhat hidden booth of PCGS. For rare coins and for an international trade, independent grading in Europe is becoming more significant every year. Among young up-and-coming collectors, who are not infrequently successful influencers with thousands of followers, the term "grading" has become very familiar. Especially trading cards and video games with a perfectly graded result represent an absolute highlight in any collection in terms of quality and the resulting value. This general development affects the local coin market and finally replaces the last long-held doubts.
In addition to the show, there were other events to which special invitations were issued. Here, among other things, it goes with state mints to the respective country embassy or to a fancy dinner. I would be only too happy to tell you about such an event.
On Saturday after the fair at 6:00 p.m., NGC International GmbH together with eBay GmbH and Greysheet Publications hosted a joint Meet & Greet evening. The reception was held with a glass of sparkling wine and snacks were served. The event was very successful and extremely exciting. We met many new collector friends here and couldn't stop talking shop about coins.
I found the conversation with Mr. Thomas Pollandt, the owner of Munich Zoo in Berlin, extremely fascinating. Through his long-standing passion for coins, he has accumulated an incredible amount of knowledge over the decades, which he gave us an insight into in his natural and friendly manner.
Incidentally, the year 2023 not only held the 50th anniversary of the World Money Fair, but also offers a whole range of other special occasions. NGC International GmbH celebrates its 10th anniversary in Germany and our Facebook group "NGC Grading & China Coins" also marks its 5th anniversary.
I was amazed recently that we now reach nearly 50,000 readers worldwide through our Facebook group, the Journal of East Asian Numismatics, and through publications with independent press outlets. With my enthusiasm for our shared hobby of numismatics, I will try as long as possible to pass on our fascination with collecting and grading.
After the years with Covid are overcome, the next world-famous fair is coming up on the 4th of March 2023 - the Numismata in Munich. Of course, I will report about it here.
Already last year, the Summer World Money Fair started as a presence event, which, however, could not completely convince. Looking back, this year's fair was all the more successful. Due to personal circumstances, we were only on site for the whole day on Saturday and here only with the standard tickets. We arrived in Berlin on Friday evening, the weather was a bit stormy, but the mild winter meant well and the streets were free of snow. In the reception hall of the Estrel Hotel we checked in, the overnight stay cost exactly €200.
As our gaze wandered towards to the coin show, there came a sense of wonder and a smile at the same time. The ticket sales were elaborately decorated, the 50th World Money Fair was displayed on all monitors and the entrance to the fair itself was festively designed for the anniversary fair. Many visitors, exhibitors and dealers came to meet us nobly dressed. From that point on, we knew the coin fair had returned in its perfect glory. After unloading our luggage, we made ourselves comfortable in the hotel's own bar with a cold beer. Thereby we had conversations with an old collector friend and as usual from the years before, it was mainly about numismatics. Praiseworthy mention should be made at this point of the very polite nature of the staff of the Estrel Hotel.
On Saturday, as on the other days, the fair opened its doors punctually at 08:00 a.m. for the trade visitors. The ticket required for this for the trade visitor cost €100 for all three days together and enabled the early search and dealing of coveted coins or served the queuing for a special new issue. Half an hour before the official start of the fair, hardly any visitors were present. This changed shortly before the opening at at 10:00 a.m., here the complete entrance area was finally overrun. After the ticket was digitally scanned, the long-awaited visit to the fair began.
After admission, many collectors ran at top speed to the main hall to get hold of limited fair releases. Of the usual 350 exhibitors, about 300 were present. The resulting free space was cleverly compensated with slightly wider aisles and additional meeting areas. The total number of visitors to the fair was only slightly less than in previous years. For the upcoming World Money Fair 2024, despite some price increases for exhibitors and visitors, I am sure that the fair will resume to the times before Corona.
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Many of the additional side events have been cancelled due to some uncertainties that still existed in the run-up, including the famous Coin of the Year Award Ceremony. The COTY award ceremony, for the most innovative coins of a minting year, will not return to Berlin until 2024. Most exhibitors had carried over their presentation booth from 2020, or in some cases reduced it in size. The booth of the Chinese mint was taken over by MDM as a representative. No particular country was represented as a special guest of honor at the anniversary fair this time. For the next fair, France will appear with this title. The universally appreciated souvenirs in the form of giveaways were mainly available on Friday, and from Saturday onwards the rest were distributed under the table.
In the main hall there were some interesting points of contact for the numismatist, where the greatest haste was required. For next year many visitors will therefore plan a fixed sequence. The longest queue formed in front of the Belgian mint, which had the 2023 "shrimp croquettes" coin set on offer for €25 (auction proceeds up to €200). The acquisition of the Belgian Euro coin set was almost exclusively possible only by early admission in connection with the trade visitor ticket. Right on the opposing side was the Euro coin set from the Netherlands, which was also offered for €25 (auction proceeds up to €145). The latest 2023 coin set from Japan for the World Money Fair, with a lunar medal for the Year of the Rabbit, was already available for €20 (auction proceeds up to €125). The colored fair Kookaburra from the Perth Mint Australia was offered for €67 (auction proceeds up to €160) and could only be purchased with an existing credit card. The lowest-priced 1 oz silver coin Bull & Bear from Tokelau was offered for €25. A much sought-after gift came from the mint of France, which had distributed a medal with the motif for the 50th anniversary of the World Money Fair free of charge. At the Professional Association of the German Coin Trade (Berufsverband des Deutschen Münzenfachhandels e.V.), each visitor was given a 10-cent coin of the new euro-issuing country Croatia.
What slipped under the radar of some visitors to the fair was the release of the officially licensed World Money Fair Berlin Panda of the current year 2023. By the strongly limited and additionally lowered mintage to only 200 pieces, in contrast to the 2020 release with 500 pieces, this year's Show Panda Medal represents the highlight of the series. In this complete series, the 2023 Show Panda, with all of its various mint variants, has the lowest total mintage to date. For the 2024 World Money Fair, the mintage quantity of the Show-Panda-Medals will increase to 300 pieces. Based on my previous article on the fair panda in the social media, which at the same time had spread in leading German collector forums, the interested collector could well prepare for a purchase. Our readers were on site on Friday at the booth of the auction house Kuenker and got here per person, due to an existing sales limit, up to two of the popular Show Panda Medals. Almost record-breaking, the 1 oz silver fair panda for €99 (auction proceeds up to €300) was completely sold out in less than three hours. The sell-out of the 8-gram silver variant for €45 (auction proceeds up to €189) followed on Saturday shortly after the start of the fair.
During the fair, many visitors asked dealers if they might still have a piece of the sold-out Show-Panda-Medal on sale. Collectors of Chinese numismatics expect a very stable price trend. The overwhelming success of the Berlin Show Panda has significantly increased the auction prices of the previous releases and even the Munich Show Pandas, which date back to the 1990s. We will soon be able to offer a few pieces of the current Show Panda variant in copper-gilt exclusively at the first issue price.
The anniversary coin pass for visiting the various issuing countries at the fair was available for €10. Each holder received a circulation coin from the mints and additionally a stamp into the collection album.
At the fair, in addition to the mints, there were also numerous coin and banknote dealers with their assortment. Coins for a bargain price were hardly to be found. The selection of Chinese coins and medals was also vanishingly small. At one booth, I spotted an inferior cast counterfeit of the 1988 "40th Anniversary of the People's Bank" 1-yuan coin. According to the dealer's erroneous statement, this coin had probably been in circulation for some time, but then immediately disappeared from the exhibition table. Wealthy numismatists have stocked the dealers' tables with countless bundles of money for rare coins. This prosperity and the valuable coins attracted an Arab clan, which, according to a police report, took a closer look. Presumably, therefore, the 2024 World Money Fair will be topped up quite a bit in terms of security.
The Technical Forum was placed in the new Auditorium building. The Auditorium was freely accessible and left a lasting impression with its modern design. Altogether for exploring, the Estrel Congress Center now offers a proud 30,000 square meters of exhibition space. The air-conditioned technic hall was almost empty at the time of our visit, apart from the exhibitors present. This could be improved in the future with a visitor magnet.
Graded coins from NGC or PCGS are now more and more common in Berlin. The eye-catching booth of NGC was always highly frequented, in contrast to the somewhat hidden booth of PCGS. For rare coins and for an international trade, independent grading in Europe is becoming more significant every year. Among young up-and-coming collectors, who are not infrequently successful influencers with thousands of followers, the term "grading" has become very familiar. Especially trading cards and video games with a perfectly graded result represent an absolute highlight in any collection in terms of quality and the resulting value. This general development affects the local coin market and finally replaces the last long-held doubts.
In addition to the show, there were other events to which special invitations were issued. Here, among other things, it goes with state mints to the respective country embassy or to a fancy dinner. I would be only too happy to tell you about such an event.
On Saturday after the fair at 6:00 p.m., NGC International GmbH together with eBay GmbH and Greysheet Publications hosted a joint Meet & Greet evening. The reception was held with a glass of sparkling wine and snacks were served. The event was very successful and extremely exciting. We met many new collector friends here and couldn't stop talking shop about coins.
 |
I found the conversation with Mr. Thomas Pollandt, the owner of Munich Zoo in Berlin, extremely fascinating. Through his long-standing passion for coins, he has accumulated an incredible amount of knowledge over the decades, which he gave us an insight into in his natural and friendly manner.
Incidentally, the year 2023 not only held the 50th anniversary of the World Money Fair, but also offers a whole range of other special occasions. NGC International GmbH celebrates its 10th anniversary in Germany and our Facebook group "NGC Grading & China Coins" also marks its 5th anniversary.
I was amazed recently that we now reach nearly 50,000 readers worldwide through our Facebook group, the Journal of East Asian Numismatics, and through publications with independent press outlets. With my enthusiasm for our shared hobby of numismatics, I will try as long as possible to pass on our fascination with collecting and grading.
After the years with Covid are overcome, the next world-famous fair is coming up on the 4th of March 2023 - the Numismata in Munich. Of course, I will report about it here.