World Money Fair (Berlin)

[chrisild]

Preview: In 2010 the World Money Fair will be a little earlier - on the last weekend (Fri-Sun) of January. More details about "the world's biggest coin fair" to follow later ...

Berlin, Estrel Convention Center
29-31 January 2010
http://www.worldmoneyfair.ch/wmf/index.html


Edit: Please note that the English version of the WMF website is now here: http://www.worldmoneyfair.de/wmf/en/ (My latest post, about the 2014 show, has the correct URL, but I was too lazy to modify all earlier posts. )

Christian

[Figleaf]

Wow! Sounds like a great show. Wish I could be there (especially since I like Berlin - though I can't remember the Estrel centre.). Christian, will you be going?

Peter

[chrisild]

Would like to, but Berlin is a little far away (I am in D?sseldorf) and in early February I don't have enough time to make this an enjoyable trip with some sightseeing and an overnight stay. Maybe next year. As for the Estrel, that is a big hotel (> 1000 rooms) and convention center in Berlin-Neuk?lln http://www.estrel.com , SE of downtown Berlin ...

Christian

[AussieBoy]

Is any other Forum member going to this in Berlin?

Both the Royal Australian Mint and the Perth Mint will have stands there and they usually produce some specially marked packaged coins or sets for the event which they do not market back here in Australia.

Australia's largest coin dealership, Downies will also be there. They usually buy up the excess from the RAM and Perth Mint stands and sell them off back here for a premium.

Wayne

[Figleaf]

I really hope someone can help, but doubt it. We don't have too many German/Swiss/Austrian/Polish members. You might try Harald and ford.ka with a personal message (PM). They live pretty far from Berlin also, though.

Peter

[chrisild]

As for mints participating, at the Media Forum 21 mints will present their issue programs: Austria, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, UK, USA, plus joint issues (Euro/Star series, Benelux). Several other mints or official numismatic offices will be at the WMF too: Andorra, Australia (both mints as you wrote), Belarus, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Hungary, Isle of Man, Kazakhstan, Korea (NK and SK), Lithuania, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Thailand, Ukraine, Vatican. Hope I did not leave any out ...

Interestingly, the American "Coin of the Year" prizes will for the first time be awarded in Berlin, not at an ANA convention. Oh, and a grading company will be there too: PCGS - they even have a one-page ad in the new issue of M?nzenRevue. In English of course - collectors elsewhere don't really care after all.

Christian

[Figleaf]

Ouf. That sounds like a big self-celebration of the pseudo coins poisoning real numismatics, including the misnomer "coin of the year", that will consider only spiritless saccharine pseudo issues for the title.

Peter

[chrisild]

Well, if a mint or numismatic office presents itself and its products at such a show, it is extremely likely that they will showcast their new stuff - and among that, primarily the issues that they can make money with. But the Media Forum is primarily for pros anyway; basically anybody can attend the presentations, but I think there will be mostly dealers in the audience.

Apart from that, the WMF is also a "regular" coin show, with lots of vendors and buyers like elsewhere. But if it was just that, it would not be such a big event ...

Christian

[chrisild]

Here you can download the WMF 2008 catalog (PDF, about 22 MB):
http://www.worldmoneyfair.ch/wmf/pdfs/WMF_08_Messekatalog_dt.pdf

Mostly greetings from various mint directors, and ads, but also a list/plan of the exhibitors and their booths for example. And if you have a close look, you can also discover, for example, what this year's Austrian niobium coin will look like.

Christian

[Figleaf]

Tom Michael of Krause Publications was there and reports a difference in interests of collectors (19th century coins) and the "general public" (euros).

Peter

[chrisild]

With such a distinction, I would have been among the euro riffraff, not among the "collectors".   Krause/numismaster also has a whole bunch of photos from the Media Forum at the WMF. What I found particularly interesting is that the Monnaie de Paris apparently plans to issue a silver €5 coin at face value. Maybe Ag500 only, but if it's true, that would still be a neat idea.

(Edit) Here is another article from numismaster, this one from David Harper:
http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ad=article&ArticleId=3807

This comment I found particularly, umm, amusing. Ron Guth, PCGS: "I was very surprised by the overall quality of the show, mostly because the professional exhibits are very elaborate like a trade show in the United States".

Surprising, isn't it ... 

Christian

[Figleaf]

 

His heart's in the right place, Christian and remember, the show actually moved him to apply for a passport

Here's one that's even worse:

"We're very happy about the show from two sides, the collector side and more important, though is having business contacts." Yeah, right. Who do these collectors think they are? People we want to sell stuff to?

Peter

[chrisild]

remember, the show actually moved him to apply for a passport

Oh, didn't know that. Guess it's all part of some secret plot to convince non-Americans of how much sense slabbing makes. 

Who do these collectors think they are? People we want to sell stuff to?

Hehe ... well, "translated" in a benevolent way, this could mean something different. If the WMF was just a coin show, with vendors selling to collectors, it would still be big but not such a "unique" event. It's a mix of a trade show for pros - the Technical Forum and the MDWG meeting, for example, are not open to the general public - and a classical coin show.

Christian

[chrisild]

The next "World Money Fair" will be in February 2009, again at the Estrel Convention Center in Berlin.
http://www.worldmoneyfair.ch/wmf/index.html

Abot 270 exhibitors, among them more than 50 mints, will be present. In 2009 the Guest of Honor will be the Royal Canadian Mint. The WMF is officially opened on 6 Feb, but on 5 Feb there will be a Künker auction at the same place. Opening hours are:
Fri 6 Feb (10-18 h)  *  Sat 7 Feb (10-18h)  *  Sun 8 Feb (10-16h)
A ticket is €7 for one day or €10 for all three days.

On Friday there will also be the "WMF Media Forum" which can be attended by any visitor. The Mint Directors Conference and the Technical Forum are for professionals only. The WMF catalog can be downloaded here:

http://www.worldmoneyfair.ch/wmf/pdfs/WMF_2009_Katalog.pdf
(PDF, about 25 MB)

Christian

[Bimat]

Hi all,
Is any forum member here attending this huge event?? If anyone is going to attend,please post some photos of it so that all can enjoy it!I wish if I could go there ..But I will be virtually present there 
Aditya