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Panda |
Estrel Congress Center, Berlin |
A new year is upon us in the world of numismatics, but with many restrictions. Nevertheless, there is a little bit of hope on the horizon for the long-lost normality.
The Corona virus remains a constant companion in everyday life to this day and continues to bring us sad record numbers. Many countries around the world are in a lockdown due to the pandemic, and nightly curfews are also in effect. Our yearning for freedom will hopefully be fulfilled this year with vaccinations now taking place. In 2020, we were forced to follow many rules and even Christmas was held only in the smallest circle.
My thoughts are with all the families who have lost a loved one forever, like our family, due to the difficult fateful year of 2020.
These restrictions of course affect our numismatics. Many coin dealers had to close their local stores, moreover, coin fairs and collectors' meetings were cancelled without any replacement. The daily activity is instead focused on the online section. Here collectors can continue to exchange knowledge or acquire new coins.
As in the previous year, the Numismata 2021 in Munich has now been cancelled at an early stage.
A significant blow to numismatics is the postponememt of the 50th Anniversary of the World Money Fair 2021 in Berlin. The initial date for the world's largest coin fair was scheduled for January 29-31, 2021. Up to 15,000 visitors and more than 330 exhibitors are counted here every year. The well-planned hygienic concept was already in position, but the event was disallowed by the authorities.
The World Money Fair is accommodated by the ECC Berlin (formerly Estrel Congress Center), which would have started this year with a notable expansion. With an investment of around 25 million Euros, the new glass-roofed Estrel Auditorium will be opened. This light-flooded extension with state-of-the-art technology, including escalators, offers an additional of 3,500 square meters - making a total of 28,500 square meters of event space available.
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Ticket for 2021 WMF |
The guest of honor this year is the China Gold Coin Incorporation (CGCI). Perhaps there will be a matching show coin issue available to order online at the #DigitalFair.
What would the World Money Fair be without the Official Show Panda 2021?
The new issue will certainly be a top-class sensation. The mintage of the 1 Oz silver issue has been drastically reduced from 500 to just 200 pieces. The additional 8-gram silver version also counts a mintage of only 300 pieces.
Since Kuenker's advertisement appeared in the Kuenker January auction catalog and German Panda Collector Facebook Group, the entire German allocation of both 100 pieces of 1 ounce silver and 8 gram silver have been completely sold out before the start of Kuneker online store sale in February. There are another 100 pieces of 1 ounce silver reserved for the market outside of Germany. 200 out of 250 50 grams silver will be certified and sold in the USA for a much higher price by the US marketing company.
The award-winning and renowned Designer Yu Min crafted the complete design, as he did for the previous year’s issues. The Show Panda medals were minted at the Shanghai New Century Mint. This private mint is known for accomplished standards in terms of quality. Many numismatic rarities that fetch high auction revenues were minted here. On the NGC label, "China 2021" appears as the country of issue and "Berlin World Money Fair 50th Anniversary" as the official occasion of issue. The mintage numbers, individually or collectively, often reflect the 50th Anniversary number of the Fair.
The Berlin World Money Fair Show Panda 2021 will be released in the following proof varieties:
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1 Ounce/8 Gram Silver Panda |
1 Ounce Gold Panda |
On the obverse of the medal are the two panda twins Meng Xiang and Meng Yuan from the Berlin Zoo. The very successful representation shows the young and playful pandas in the enclosure of the Panda Garden. Posing, one of the two cute pandas climbs straight on a stone, which shows a circular hole in the middle. The second delightful panda, which has placed itself in front of a bamboo, almost formally and thereby blissfully greets the audience present with outstretched arms and open mouth. In the foreground you can see a fence, which was built in the Chinese architectural style. Above the two frolicking pandas hang two Chinese lanterns, which are gently moved by a breeze. On one of these lanterns is an imprint with the number 50, which is symbolic of the Anniversary Fair.
The circumscription reads "World Money Fair 50th Anniversary".
Each Show Panda medal received its own consecutive serial number by an applied laser technique, or the special designation for an extremely rare pattern medal (which served as a gift and display sample).
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Neus Museum |
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The bust of Nefertiti |
On the reverse is the Neus Museum with corresponding silhouette in the background. The New Museum was built between 1843 and 1855 by Friedrich August Stüler. After being heavily destroyed in the Second World War, it was reopened in October 2009 after an elaborate reconstruction and restoration. The building is part of the architectural ensemble of the Museum Island Berlin and belongs thus to the world cultural heritage of the UNESCO.
Since the reopening of the Neues Museum, it has housed the Egyptian Museum with the Papyrus Collection of the National Museums in Berlin. The most well-known exhibit and a true crowd puller is the bust of Nefertiti, donated by James Simon in 1920. The famous bust, dated to 1338 BC, is depicted on the current Show Panda medal as a gold-plated inlay.
The legend "World Money Fair Berlin 2021" as well as the officially licensed World Money Fair logo were also minted on the reverse.
Many more interesting new issues from the Designer Yu Min appeared recently. This is among others the Macau Show Panda 2020 with reference to Michael Schumacher. The medal is in high demand among many Formula 1 fans, especially in Germany. Another sought-after follow-up issue represents the Space Panda 2020 from Cook Islands, whose predecessor sold out in record time.
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The Show Panda "World Money Fair Berlin 2021" can be ordered in the Künker Coin Shop from February: |