A New Member to Join the SINCONA Team: Michael Otto

Michael Otto comments: “I’m really looking forward to my new tasks. I’m a people person, and I particularly enjoy advising customers. That’s why I plan to participate in more coin shows. I don’t just want to go to the large international shows, but also to the smaller ones. After all, the best way to gain people’s trust is to let them feel your enthusiasm for numismatics in conversation.”

A Life in the Numismatic World

It is obvious that Michael Otto’s heart beats for numismatics. This passion began in his early childhood in the German Democratic Republic, when his coin-collecting father took him to regular swap meets of fellow coin enthusiasts. Even at the age of 10, the boy preferred to accompany his father to coin shows rather than join his mother in the women’s and children’s activities.

He really learned his trade from the bottom up. After the Fall of the Berlin Wall, his father fulfilled himself a long-held wish. He quit his job and became the first private coin dealer in East Berlin in early March 1990, even before German reunification. “It was quite difficult back then,” says Michael Otto. “The authorities never knew who was responsible for us – the Ministry of Culture or the Ministry of Trade.”

In 1992, his father, Manfred Otto, opened a shop in Pankow. This shop enabled Michael Otto to train as a retail salesman. During this time, he benefited from a transitional arrangement as the training standards of the Federal Republic of Germany were only introduced later. “I learned a lot back then, but not in business school, of course, but on the job.”

In 2003, Michael Otto took over his father’s coin shop when he retired. And he has repeatedly been working with the SINCONA team. Arne Kirsch comments: “We hold Michael in high esteem, particularly because he has an impressive in-depth specialist knowledge in addition to his general expertise.” Michael Otto explains: “When you’ve been in the coin trade for as long as I have, you can’t help but master the usual subjects. Coins from the German States, the German Empire, European issues – you can’t avoid these fields. I’ve always enjoyed dealing with exotic topics. That’s why I specialised in China and East Asia when no one else was offering issues from these regions. I’ve also always found paper money very interesting. I’m really looking forward to expanding these two areas at SINCONA.”

Meet Michael Otto at the World Money Fair

Michael Otto’s first appearance as a new member of the SINCONA team will be in his old hometown, at the World Money Fair in Berlin. Meet him at the SINCONA booth. You will certainly find common topics of conversation in the field of numismatics.