NUMISMATA’s Key to Success: Keep It Simple!
by Sebastian Wieschowski, translated by Maike Meßmann
Gone are the days when coin collectors had to queue for hours to get into a German coin show. And yet, last weekend, a large numismatic crowd was finally to be seen again – which is all the more remarkable as it was the first weekend of spring and collectors could have spent their time enjoying a beer or eating ice cream in some nice café of the Bavarian capital. But thousands of passionate coin collectors preferred to visit the MOC Event Center instead. And, as was the case last year, at times it was barely possible to put one foot in front of the other as crowds of visitors squeezed their way through the aisles of the Munich exhibition centre.
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Full house: before the fair started, the MOC foyer was almost completely full. Photo: Wieschowski.
By now, the trauma of the 2020 NUMISMATA, when the show had to be cancelled at the last minute due to the Covid pandemic, is nothing but a distant memory. The news arrived about twelve hours before the show was scheduled to open, taking countless dealers and visitors completely by surprise, even though there had been discussions and rumours of a possible cancellation. Thus, the 50th anniversary of this traditional coin show had to be called off and numismatics in Germany was in a state of emergency. Other coin fairs also had to be cancelled. It took three years for the next NUMISMATA to take place – but its comeback in 2023 was a real success: every single table at the anniversary show was booked, and the doors to the hall had to be temporarily closed on the first day of the show as there were simply too many visitors.
Ancient numismatics is one of the cornerstones of the NUMISMATA – therefore, contemporary numismatics is rather treated as a side issue. Photo: Wieschowski.
For Many, the NUMISMATA is “the One and Only” Coin Show
Visitors from all over Germany and Europe – especially Eastern Europe – were prepared to travel long distances, as many of them consider NUMISMATA to be “the one and only” coin show in the German-speaking area. After all, the large exhibition space at the MOC Event Center in Munich is exclusively dedicated to the buying and selling of coins at the tables of coin dealers. And even after more than 50 years, this simple concept is still a key to success: the fair mainly attracts enthusiasts of classical numismatics, from ancient pieces to the Empire, and offers a dense network of dealer tables and boxes filled with coins.
Say cheese: the CoinsWeekly photo booth put a smile on many faces. Photo: Wieschowski.
With over 2,000 visitors and more than 200 dealers, NUMISMATA is the number one coin show for many dealers – especially as there are fewer and fewer competitors. The coin shows in Stuttgart and Dortmund have disappeared from the numismatic calendar, and the last Hannover coin show was scheduled to take place in 2023 but cancelled at the last minute. The NUMISMATA organisers, however, continue to fly the flag for local coin shows: “In terms of its nature and the diversity of the range, NUMISMATA is the largest coin trade fair in the world – with an unmistakable atmosphere and tradition maintained since 1970,” the coin show’s website says.
Dr Ursula Kampmann, editor-in-chief of CoinsWeekly, welcomes NUMISMATA visitors with a smile and a freshly printed CoinsWeekly Special Issue for the event. Photo: Wieschowski.
The magazine was a welcome read to pass the waiting time in the MOC foyer. Photo: Wieschowski.
Right at the centre: the CoinsWeekly team, here Till Kleyer, who is responsible for advertisements, distributed the CoinsWeekly Special Issues before and during the coin show – by Sunday noon, there was not a single issue left. Photo: Wieschowski.
A stand at the heart of the NUMISMATA: the Osnabrück auction house Künker with Dr Hubert Ruß and Tanja Brearley. Photo: Wieschowski.
Gold was particularly popular at NUMISMATA – one of the reasons was certainly that the gold price reached a new all-time high in the eurozone on Friday afternoon. Photo: Wieschowski.
Always busy: representatives of the NGC grading company were pleased about their successful on-site grading event in their Munich offices, and there was also a huge crowd at NUMISMATA on both days. Photo: Wieschowski.
Silver coins from Vespasian to Franz Joseph: you can barely find contemporary numismatics at NUMISMATA (besides a few exceptions). Photo: Wieschowski.
From Vienna: representatives of the H.D. Rauch auction house with their senior boss Hans Dieter Rauch. Photo: Wieschowski.
No alpine hut this time: the Austrian mint came to Munich with a mini version of their popular trade fair booth – and were the only renowned mint to be seen at the event. Photo: Wieschowski.
NUMISMATA regulars: SINCONA from Switzerland, represented by Michael Hardmeier (on the left) and Timur S. Demiral as well as reinforcements from their German branch. Photo: Wieschowski.
From a Local Show to Europe’s No. 1 Coin Show
This tradition is actually a very important aspect for many collectors: the NUMISMATA was first held as early as in 1970 as a local coin show in a small side room of the Löwenbräukeller in Munich – at that time at the request of Munich coin collectors, who wanted to foster the passion for collecting in southern Germany. The “Bavarian Coin Day” in Munich developed into the internationally renowned “NUMISMATA” branch, which has been organised since 1982 by the Münzen Modes company, and is inextricably linked to a true Bavarian: the Munich coin dealer Erich Modes has built up an excellent reputation as a passionate coin show organiser; by now, he has passed over the reins to his daughter.
