World Money Fair 2018

[chrisild]

In early February 2018 there will be another World Money Fair in Berlin. Not much info yet, but here are the dates and times:

Fri 2 Feb (10-18 h)
Sat 3 Feb (10-18 h)
Sun 4 Feb (10-16 h)

On Thursday there will be the Künker Auction (1 Feb, as from 10 h). Also on that day, registered professional visitors can attend the WMF Technical Forum (as from 13.30 h). More information about the WMF 2018: https://www.worldmoneyfair.de/wmf/en/fair-info/

Christian

[chrisild]

This year's Guest of Honor will be the Netherlands, or rather the KNM (Royal Dutch Mint). Here is a CoinsWeekly article about this. The WMF website does not have that info yet, but they tend to be slow.

Christian

[quaziright]

I had a gala time back in Feb at the WMF. It is definitely on my menu perhaps in a couple years. If I learnt anything, Its that I'm like a kid in the candy store over there. I can't trust myself with my money

[Bimat]

I can't trust myself with my money

No collector can.

Aditya

[chrisild]

Four tulips and a windmill on the front page, what could that be?

Right, the new World Money Fair catalog - and yes, the Royal Dutch Mint will be the Guest of Honor. The catalog (first version; usually there will be an updated one some time later) can now be viewed or downloaded here:
https://www.worldmoneyfair.de/wmf/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/12/WMF18_Messekatalog_171222_web.pdf
(PDF, 36 MB, English/German)

Christian

[Figleaf]

When I worked for the Dutch ministry of Economic Affairs, I hated that "tulip and windmill" image, as it belied the structure of the economy. I once escorted a Chinese minister across the country. In the car, he mentioned he hadn't seen any windmills yet. I explained that agriculture was a really small part of the economy, with (at the time) about 3% of the workers employed. He asked what the percentage of agriculture in exports was and I replied that it was around 20%. Ah, he sighed. That's what I want for China: 3% of workers producing 20% of exports. Another battle lost...

Peter

[chrisild]

Besides, those are clichés that work, as the windmill is also a symbol of how to deal with the water, not just in agriculture.   Similarly, I always tell people that there is no such thing as "German food", instead we have many regional cuisines. But of course people from elsewhere may still find things that are common "here", and not just in one region, while they are rarely found "there" ...

Going back from food to coins if you want to download the WMF catalog, please do not use the direct link above. The catalog is updated from time to time; the current version is always here: https://www.worldmoneyfair.de/wmf/en/fair-catalog/

In the latest (third) version there is a funny error. One of the articles added later is about bridges as symbols of the German-French friendship. Aha, I thought, an interesting topic, and that is definitely an important partnership ... errm, wait ... St. Petersburg?

The text, as many others in the catalog is in German and English. The German title is Brücken als Zeichen der deutsch-französischen Freundschaft - in English it is Bridges as a sign of the Russian-French friendship (see page 98 which is p. 50 of the PDF file). And the latter is actually the correct one.

Christian

[chrisild]

Talking about language, what I find odd is that the catalog constantly uses the English term "Royal Dutch Mint" in its German texts. Yes, "Königliche Niederländische Münze" is longer, but it still looks strange to me. Especially as the KNM, in its own ad, is perfectly able to use those words. (Along with tulips and windmills, hehe.)

Christian

[chrisild]

Oh, and back from coins to food ...

Hello KNM, here I come !!!

Christian

[Bimat]

Oh, and back from coins to food ...

Hello KNM, here I come !!!

Almost all the Dutch guys of our company bring these Stroopwafel when they are visiting our Indian office. And honestly speaking, I don't like it at all. I prefer Swiss chocolates, but they aren't so commonly brought.

Aditya

[Figleaf]

The secret of a good stroopwafel is having it fresh. You buy the best from a street stand where they make them before your eyes.

That's even more true for another Dutch specialty: raw herring. When it's well done, it is a world class delicacy, when it's too watery or salty or no longer fresh it's disgusting. No wonder that there is a national championship for herring mongers. (link in Dutch)

There ought to be a national championship for stroopwafels...

Peter

[chrisild]

Ha, that herring contest seems to be ... fishy, according to the part about smaad en laster. Yes, I do like stroopwafels, but in Germany you can unfortunately not get them from street vendors. From time to time I can buy freshly made ones around here too, at a fish market (where you get much more than fish) or Christmas market.

Another example of that strange "catalog language" is this part about the new director of the KNM. Not only do they write "Royal Dutch Mint" two times in a short German text, even his mintmaster sign represents the - nah, not Servatiusbrücke, and not the Dutch name Sint-Servaasbrug either ...

Christian

[eurocoin]

Have never been there before and this year's program does not give me much of a reason to go either. For Christian I however hope the Stroopwafel's the Royal Dutch Mint gives away on the WMF are a bit bigger than the ones in the image, they look a bit 'skeer' to say the least  .

Stroopwafel's are nice but herring is crap. I guess the latter is a generation thing though.

[chrisild]

This year it was a zoo. Well, the WMF itself was pretty crowded too (at least on Saturday, when I was there) but it all started with my train to Berlin. After Hannover it was supposed to stop in Wolfsburg and Spandau, but at some point en route we were told that due to technical issues it would be diverted, and stop in Braunschweig and Magdeburg instead. We arrived 80 minutes late, but at least we passengers did not even have to ask for the refund forms - they were simply given to everybody. (If a train is between 60 and 120 minutes late, you get 25% of your fare back by default.)

On the way back, the train did make it to Wolfsburg, but then sat there ... and sat there ... etc. Finally there was an announcement that due to technical issues the expected delay could not be specified, but that passengers going to (various destinations listed) could take another train which would leave in about five minutes. Yours truly grabbed his bag, as many other passengers, and a few minutes later boarded that other train. Can you imagine what happens when many passengers enter an already well filled train? Well, I had to stand in the corridor until we arrived in Hannover, and of course got back home quite a bit later than scheduled.

Between those two rides I had a pleasant time though. Ah right, the World Money Fair ... as you know, this year's Guest of Honor was the Royal Dutch Mint. In case anybody did not know, they are in the country of windmills and tulips, hehe.

Christian

[chrisild]

2018 is also the 200th anniversary of Karl Marx's birth, and since no coin was or will be issued this year (we had one in 1983, for the 100th anniversary of his death), the Berlin Mint made a few silver medals commemorating the occasion. They come in various sizes; the most common one is the 1 oz piece, but they also showed this one.

Can't read the price tag in the lower right corner? Hint: What you are looking at is 2,000 ounces of silver. The mint rep at the booth told us that they got the blank and then worked on the piece (mintage: 1) for about three weeks. So €75,000 is not much, I think.

Christian