Good ideas catch on in Berlin

Good ideas catch on and are copied by others. Coins designed by children are apparently a good idea because it is spreading to other world mints.

I attended a portion of the Media Forum today at the World Money Fair in Berlin. I was called away before it reached its conclusion, but fortunately Tom Michael of the Standard Catalog staff was present so that what I missed will not be missed by Krause Publications.

However, in the time I was present, I learned that the British have struck a 50-pence coin designed by a child. This was followed a short time later by a couple of new Austrian coins also designed by children.

Collectors have wondered for years how to involve the coming generations in coinage. Helping to design them is one way of doing this.

While coins designed by children might help us secure the future of numismatics, the present is very much concerned with coins made of precious metals. New offerings of these get everybody’s special attention.

The People’s Republic of China expects to produce gold coins that will use 1.4 million troy ounces of the yellow metal this year. The silver coins are expected to consume 11 million ounces.

Those are very large numbers and are sure to have an impact on world demand for precious metals.

It is the 30th anniversary of th Chinese Panda and more new designs will mark this milestone.

Canada is introducing its new one-ounce Moose silver bullion coin. It is the fourth design in the popular Wildlife Bullion Series.

I know I am just scratching the surface. There is so much to take in in Berlin. However, one thing is certain. The world mints are watching each other and copying what works, much to the benefit of coin collectors and a likely great strain on their budgets.