It’s a lovely morning in Berlin, Germany, as I sit with fellow blogger, Dave Harper, in the atrium breakfast area of the Estrel Hotel. Our traveling group of four, including NumisMaster operatives, Lisa Bellavin and Scott Tappa, arrived in Berlin yesterday and spent the day getting acquainted with the facilities and getting our jet lagged heads back into shape. A good night’s sleep has helped and we are ready to go this morning.

The Krause Publications crew pose for a shot at the Canadian Embassy for a reception thrown by the Royal Canadian Mint in celebration of its 100th anniversary. From left: Dave Harper, Tom Michael, Lisa Bellavin and Scott Tappa.

The Estrel Convention Center was a buzz with construction activity yesterday, with workers sawing sheets and constructing displays for the 16 Mints which are set to attend the show. We stopped by our regular booth and found things well under way, but dealer set-up does not begin until later this afternoon.

Yesterday we spent a lovely evening at the Canadian Embassy at a reception for the Royal Canadian Mint. There were about 100 attendees and we had the pleasure of speaking with several mint directors and marketing directors from around the world. I also found it a refreshing treat to visit with some of the technical businesses who provide service to the mints in their drive to bring us better coinage.

Today we have been invited to visit the Berlin Mint facility, so I best get moving and get some breakfast to fuel the day’s activities. Check in tomorrow and each day this week for more updates from the World Money Fair.