The NUMISMATA
After the world's largest coin fair, the World Money Fair in Berlin, the next great trade fair in Germany - the 54th NUMISMATA in Munich - delighted the specialist public on the 2nd and 3rd of March. The NUMISMATA is Germany's second largest trade fair in the numismatic sector and has been firmly established for many decades as a crowd-puller with 5,000 visitors every year. In addition to Munich, the trade fair will also be held in Berlin this year. In Munich, over 220 exhibitors from all over the world offered their services.
The fair offered modern and historical coins, precious metals, specialist literature, accessories, banknotes, as well as expert valuations and grading services.
We got up early this time and were at the trade fair right on time at 7:30 a.m. for the provisional start. The exhibition grounds, on the outskirts of Munich, have their own underground parking garage, which still offered plenty of parking on Saturday.
The Entrance
Trade visitors were able to purchase a special ticket and were therefore able to go treasure hunting two hours earlier. We noticed at many booths that rare coins were changing hands at very reasonable prices before the general admission.
However, there were still plenty of interesting coins to be found during the regular admission, some of which were somewhat hidden under other tableaus.
Shortly before the opening at 9:30 a.m., a huge crowd formed in the entrance hall. At the opening, the visitors made their way into the hall at a brisk pace and the anticipation was clear to see.
The Fair
Following a strict plan, we went from table to table to look at the extensive range. There were countless coins from various collection areas. Collectors were delighted to see such an extensive selection of rare coins in real life.
The quality of the coins was predominantly in top condition with complete accessories and at fair prices. Chinese buyers, in particular, focused on older issues such as the Dragon Dollar and quickly paid many thousands of euros for a single but fantastic coin. Even I was able to close a long-standing gap in my collection. Numismatists were also able to offer their coins to dealers and sell them directly at the fair.
A particularly attractive stand was that of dealer Ying Hu from Duesseldorf. He had a lot of Asian coins with him, which were lined up very neatly. The dealer is extremely friendly and always up for a bit of fun. We look forward to seeing him again every year.
I could no longer discover forgeries as at other coin fairs, the reliability of the dealers was completely given here.
There were once again giveaways from the exhibitors on site, which could be taken away as souvenirs.
The Grading
The ever-emerging graded coins were very common. The number of PCGS, Classical Coin Grading and NGC slabs was almost identical. Coins in slabs were offered here with more display space than premium goods. The prejudices against grading that existed at the time seem to have completely disappeared in the meantime.
The eye-catching stand of the grading supplier NGC with a length of about 8 meters was always very well attended and the staff had their hands full. A free sample was available on request and a few interesting flyers were available for further information.
The PCGS booth was a little less busy, but there was just as much interest in grading here.
The Classical Coin Grading is still relatively new on the market, but already has a high number of followers on social media.
The eye-catching stand of the grading supplier NGC with a length of about 8 meters was always very well attended and the staff had their hands full. A free sample was available on request and a few interesting flyers were available for further information.
The PCGS booth was a little less busy, but there was just as much interest in grading here.
The Classical Coin Grading is still relatively new on the market, but already has a high number of followers on social media.
Stamp Fair
The international stamp fair took place at the same time in another exhibition hall. This year, admission was free. We took a look at the well-filled hall. Most of the visitors were of an older age; we could only see a few younger collectors. As is generally known, philately is struggling with some problems in recruiting young collectors. Numismatics in Germany hardly knows this problem; there is a young audience here that speculates on precious metals or collects rarities, among other things.
To Conclude
There is still a whole lot to do in Munich after the trade fair and the Bavarian capital is certainly worth a visit. Many collectors hold a regulars' table on Saturday evening.
The excellent organization of the fair is to be highly praised, as everything ran smoothly once again.
I would like to see a special souvenir for the fair again, such as the fair pandas from the 1990s, which have increased in value, with a small mintage.
I wish everyone a successful numismatic year 2024!