Special issues made for Berlin fair

A number of world mints produced issues specifically for the 46th World Money Fair (WMF) held in Berlin on Feb. 3-5. These included coins expressly struck for the fair as well as existing issues in special WMF packaging. As soon as the Fair’s doors opened those issues with limited mintages quickly became the target of dealers and collectors.

Both Australian mints have a history of producing attractive products for international shows. Berlin proved no exception. The Royal Australian Mint offered three specially minted coins.

Reverses of three of RAM products released at this year’s Berlin World Money Fair. From left: Mob-of-Roos dollar privy marked with the “Buddy Bear;” high-relief feather tailed glider 1 cent struck in silver; gold-plated version Year of the Rooster 50 cents. (Images courtesy RAM)

First up was a regular “Mob of Roos” dollar but bearing the “Buddy Bear” privy mark of Berlin. It came mounted in a credit-card sized holder. Mintage was 5,000.

Second was the original 1966 feather tailed glider 1 cent design of Stuart Devlin (KM-62) but struck in high-relief silver. Mintage was 1,500.

Third was a gold-plated version of the RAM’s 2017 tetradecagon Year of the Rooster 50 cents. It too came in a credit-card holder but with a higher 5,000 mintage.

Reverse of Perth Mint’s WMF colorized silver Kookaburra dollar. (Image courtesy The Perth Mint)

The Perth Mint’s offering was an attractive, colorized, limited-edition version of this year’s silver Kookaburra dollar designed by Natasha Muhl. The 40.60 mm, 31.135 g (1 oz) .999 fine silver coin has a mintage of 2,000.

Reverse of Somalia’s silver 100 shillings bearing its Berlin WMF privy mark as detailed in insert. (Image Emporium Hamburg courtesy www.melbournemint.com.au)

Somalia sent a 39 mm, 1 oz .9999 fine silver BU 100 shillings struck by the Bavarian Mint. It carried a Berlin WMF privy mark.

The replica of 1842 one quart in silver as offered by Gibraltar at WMF. The obverse shows the same young head effigy of Queen Victoria that was used on sovereigns of this date struck by Britain’s Royal Mint. The reverse shows a turreted castle with a central gate similar to that on Gibraltar’s coat of arms. The circled “B” that distinguishes this as a replica can just be made out within the castle’s gateway. (Image Commonwealth Mint courtesy www.melbournemint.com.au)

And Gibraltar impressed this year with a copper replica of the 1842 quart (KM-2). The reproduction can be distinguished from the original by the presence of a small encircled ‘B’ within the gateway of the castle on the coin’s reverse. Gold (8 g, 22 mm .917 fine) and silver (10 g, 22 mm .925 fine) versions of the replica are also available. All replicas have plain edges as did the original.

Spain and France’s BU euro coin sets in their special WMF packaging along with Spain’s 2017 2 euro commemorating the Kingdom of Asturias.

Three European mints produced specially packaged, card-mounted BU collections of their euro coins: Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre [Royal Spanish Mint], Monnaie de Paris [Paris Mint] and Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt [Royal Dutch Mint]. Mintages of the first two were 2,000 and 500, respectively.

The Spanish set contains the 2017 2 euro commemorating the Kingdom of Asturias. That of France has the 2017 2 euro marking the 100th anniversary of the death of Auguste Rodin.

This article was originally printed in World Coin News. >> Subscribe today.

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