Five Things That You Should Not Miss At The World Money Fair 2024

by Sebastian Wieschowski

Hamburg, Osnabrück, Munich, or Frankfurt - it's not easy to determine which city is the capital of coins in Germany. However, at the beginning of February, the answer to this question becomes clear: Berlin will not only be the center of numismatics in Germany but also worldwide. The World Money Fair, the largest coin fair globally, opens its doors in Berlin on Friday. With over 300 exhibitors on more than 9000 square meters, the fair sets a new record this year, highlighting the unbroken demand for collector coins.

1.     Rare Coin Sets

The preferred destination for many collectors in Berlin is the booth of the Dutch Mint, the Belgian Mint, and the Japan Mint. These and other mints showcase extremely rare commemorative coin sets with special motifs at the World Money Fair. Commemorative coin sets often experience a sales explosion during the fair. They also serve as a welcome opportunity for many collectors to add a special memory of their visit to the World Money Fair to their collection. Commemorative coin sets have been highly popular among collectors for many years because they provide all coins of a particular year directly – and in the case of Euro countries, many years have only been released in commemorative coin sets.

 2.     Coin Pass

For several years, the World Money Fair has offered a special opportunity for newcomers to the fascinating world of coins, especially for newcomers. At the entrance, a collecting album is offered for sale, which can be filled at numerous booths at the fair. Countries and cities participating in the program bring a circulating coin from their respective home countries and give this coin free of charge to owners of the coin pass. Additionally, the pass is stamped, resulting in an exciting collection of field coins at the end of the day.

 3.     Special Strikes

 In addition to commemorative coin sets, special editions are also an integral part of the World Money Fair program. For several years now, a Panda commemorative medal has been issued in honor of the event. Moreover, the legendary Somalia Elephant from the African Wildlife series is minted in a strictly limited edition of only 1000 pieces with a counterstamp. This so-called “privy mark” makes the Berlin Elephant an absolute rarity. In addition, the Perth Mint from Australia has been enhancing its Kookaburra for the fair for many years. Since the market values of these special editions from 2023 have risen extremely strongly until today, the demand for rare special editions at the World Money Fair is expected to be very high this year. And this year, Coiniverse will also have a special collectors’ item to give away: Collectors can get a free medal token at the Coiniverse booth.

 4.     Two Euro Surprises

 Last year, the World Money Fair became a celebration for collectors of two-euro coins, as freshly minted trial specimens of new designs were already on display at various stands, which were scheduled for regular release in a few months. In Berlin last year, for example, you could admire the two-euro commemorative coins from Greece in honor of the singer Maria Callas and the mathematician Constantin Caratheodory. Latvia presented its sunflower in honor of Ukraine. It is eagerly awaited which surprises will be found at the mint stands this year.

 5.     French Mint Olympics Coins

 The host nation of France has come up with something special for the World Money Fair in 2024: In the entrance area of the fair, not only the most beautiful Olympic coins from France will be exhibited, but also the different production steps in coin manufacturing will be vividly presented. Collectors can admire how a coin evolves from an initial sketch to a plaster model and then the minting die. Normally, the minting tools remain hidden from the public eye, but the French are making an exception on this occasion. They will also have the fourth edition of their four-year coincard collection for the Olympic Summer Games in Paris.

Sebastian Wieschowski has been collecting coins since childhood and, after working as a journalist with a focus on finance and economy, has switched his focus on coins and precious since 2012. He is the author of several self-published books on Bullion Coins, Panda Coins, Fake Coins and Coin Grading and works for numismatic magazines. He is also a recurring expert on the German television program Münzengalerie (Coin Gallery), the longest running numismatic television show in the world. You can find out more about his work at coinosseur.com