Numismatic News and NumisMaster Visit China!
Numismatic News staff joined Coin of the Year sponsors in China to explore minting innovation, meet designers, and attend the Beijing International Coin Expo.
At the end of October, Numismatic News Senior Editor and Coin of the Year Coordinator Sophia Mattimiro, along with NumisMaster Market Analyst Jeff Starck, left the United States for a trip to China.
The journey was the result of months of planning and coordinating with the Coin of the Year (COTY) sponsor, Journal of East Asian Numismatics (JEAN), and China Gold Coin Group Co., LTD. The goal of the trip was to learn more about China Gold Coin’s 2025 Chinese Dragon silver bullion coin, which was released earlier in the year, as well as visit the Beijing International Coin Expo.
Starting the trip in Hong Kong, Mattimiro and Starck made a stop at a permanent coin market. The small three-story building housed numerous small shops specializing in coins, bank notes, stamps, and antiques. The selection included offerings from every corner of the world.
After the market, it was a hunt for a mobile coin exchange truck. Read more about the coin cart in Starck’s column “Starck Reality” in the December 2025 issue of World Coin News.
The next day, accompanied by JEAN’s founder and editor, Michael Chou, as well as two representatives from China Great Wall Coins Investments Ltd., the group drove to Shenzhen in mainland China. There, they were treated to an exclusive tour of the Shenzhen Guobao Mint that creates the silver Dragon coins. The Mint also produces the gold and silver Panda coins that many world coin collectors are familiar with.
The group was impressed to see each of those dragon coins come off the press and get hand-inspected by an employee for quality. A mintage of two million coins isn’t small, especially when each coin is inspected.
After the tour, the group sat down with the executive and design teams behind the Dragon coin. The coin’s designer shared a presentation on the artistic process and the various elements that make up the final image. Over 60 different pattern coins were created before the ultimate design was chosen.
The following day, Mattimiro, Starck, and Chou headed to Beijing, where a packed schedule awaited for the rest of the trip.
Meeting with members of China Gold Coin Group at their offices was first on the agenda. The office building also houses a museum that tells the story of China Gold Coin and the coins and medals it has produced. The group was excited to see a small display of awards the Mint has received, which included COTY trophies. After the tour, everyone sat down to discuss the coins that China Gold Coin produces and the COTY program.
It isn’t uncommon for the COTY staff to get asked by mints something along he lines of “why not our coin?” As one can imagine, it is an incredibly difficult question to answer. The program has an international panel of judges, totaling well over 100 members with expertise in all aspects of numismatics. The answer often ends up being to look at the winning coins and who produces them, and go from there. Of course, this can only get a COTY hopeful so far.
In the afternoon, Starck had the opportunity to go and visit the Forbidden City, leaving Mattimiro to meet with China Banknote Printing and Minting. In 2025, this mint produced a coin that won COTY’s Best Circulating category. A similar discussion ensued, speaking with mints that want to improve reaffirms COTY’s mission to encourage coin design and innovation. It was an honor for the team to be asked to speak with both China Gold Coin Group and China Banknote Printing and Minting in their respective efforts to improve their coins.
The next day was a small break from official business with a visit to the Great Wall. The team still got their fix of coins when they arrived, as a small stand selling commemorative coins that engrave your name and the date was near the attraction.
The last day was spent at the Beijing International Coin Exposition. As the coordinator of the COTY program, Mattimiro was asked to participate in the opening ceremony.
Walking around the bourse, the booths were all quite impressive, each designed as its own structure and featuring large, vibrant displays. Being the first day of the show, the turnout was good, with visitors filling the paths between the booths and plenty more looking at the offerings. Many visitors were livestreaming the event, showing distant viewers the hustle and bustle. Livestreaming isn’t something often seen at U.S. shows due to security concerns, but there seemed to be no issues at this event.
In the afternoon, the team attended the launch ceremony for the next edition in the Panda series. The event showcased the designer and engraver of the coin, as well as other individuals involved in its production.
The trip was a successful opportunity to learn more about the numismatic offerings of East Asia and to further the reach of the COTY program.
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