World Money Fair Berlin
We attended the grandly titled World Money Fair in Berlin again. It is a coin fair but with a difference. A large number of the world's mints attend, and it is considered as one of the four biggest and most important numismatic conventions, and certainly the main European event.The WMF originated in Basle Switzerland in 1972, but was not attended by state mints until 1981, after which more world mints started to exhibit. The WMF continued in Basle until 2005, then moved in 2006 to the Estrel Centre in Berlin.
We attended the Basle events several times, and in 2005 happened to be there for their annual carnival which is know locally as "Fasnacht". It's almost mandatory to get up at 3 a.m. and parade around the streets in factions playing loud discordant music. At any other time of the year, this behaviour would get you locked up in normally staid and sensible Switzerland.

Berlin Briefing

• British Royal Mint
  Despite having spent over £1 million with the British Royal Mint in each the the past two months, and having a further £1 million of coins on order for February delivery, together with a provisional £6 million more over the year, we didn't get an invitation to the Royal Mint's Olympic Coin Programme launch at the British Embassy in Berlin. We wonder what we have to do to get invited?
  We didn't even get a meeting in their meeting room (probably 80% of all business done at the WMF is in private meeting rooms).
  On a positive note, we did get to talk with Jonathan Cockroft, the new Director of Collector Coin Marketing, at the Perth Mint's annual cocktail party and networking event. We had already seen his 10 minute media forum presentation where he described their programme as "very unique".
  We also got to see samples of the new quarter sovereign in its "bullion" version. It looks surprisingly good for its small size (13.5 mms). The proofs should look even better.
  We also got a preview on their public stand of the first coins of the new 2012 Olympic coin programme.
• Austrian Mint
  Having been present at the Media Centre launch of the one ounce silver Philharmoniker bullion coin last year, we headed straight for the Austrian Mint's stand to let them know we wished to distribute the new coins. In 2008, we were unable to get a "meeting", but this year we managed it. Mrs Jane Chard was networking well with Kirsten Petersen of the Austrian Mint at the Perth Mint's Paris Room on Thursday. She was telling us that the Austrian Mint is working flat out to try to meet demand for its bullion coins, and was definitely not looking for new distributors. At our meeting the next day we suggested that the Austrian Mint was in desperate need of a UK distributor, and they very sensibly agreed with us. We are currently working on logistics such as shipping methods and costs, but expect to start with our first gold one ounce Philharmonic shipment from them within about one week, and follow this with a silver shipment perhaps a week later.
• New Zealand Mint
  Jane also got chatting at the Perth Mint event to Veronica Maguire, previously the General Manager of The Perth Mint, who went freelance about two years ago. Veronica told her that we ought to go to see the New Zealand Mint, who were just about to launch a new one ounce gold bullion coin "The Pacific Sovereign".
  We headed there the next day, and are happy to announce that we will be distributing their exciting new coin when it is launched on 1st March this year.
  

Gold Continues to Break New All Time Record High Prices in Pounds Sterling and Euros

No New Krugerrands Nor Britannias
We spoke to the South African Mint at the Berlin WMF, and will be exchanging e-mails with them about supplies of Krugerrands, but we are not optimistic about getting direct supplies.
We keep talking to the Royal Mint about direct supplies of one ounce gold bullion Britannias, but their minimum initial order remains firmly at 5,000 pieces, which works out at over £3 million at current gold prices. We are beginning to think we are undercapitalised!

August Slowdown 2008 How annual European holidays affect the physical gold bullion market.

September Silly Season 2008 In recent years, it has taken longer for supplies to return to normal after the break.

October Goldfest 2008 In October 2008, it already looks like gold buyers are in a festive and merry mood.

November News 2008 Nearing normality in November?

December Deliveries 2008
We received our order for 5,000 x 2008 new "bullion" sovereigns from the Royal Mint around the 8th December, and sold out within a few days. We immediately re-ordered another 500, but can't have them before the end of February, possibly early February.

January Junket 2009 We also have an order for a further 5,000 new "bullion" sovereigns, which we believe will be ready for us on 6th January 2009.

March Mayhem? 2009
The 1st of March 2009 should see the launch of the new one ounce " Pacific Sovereign " made for Fiji by the New Zealand Mint. We expect to receive one of the very first deliveries.
We also have good news about important new distributorships.
Please watch this space.

April Arrivals 2009
The 1st of March 2009 should see the launch of the new one ounce " Pacific Sovereign " made for Fiji by the New Zealand Mint. We expect to receive one of the very first deliveries.
We should also receive our first delivery of one ounce gold bullion Britannias direct from the Royal Mint.
We should be able to place our first direct order for one ounce gold bullion Krugerrands fro the Rand Refinery, but will probably not receive delivery until May.
Please watch this space.

Flexibility We would remind potential investors to read our "flexibility" page, part of the gold investment advice section of our website.

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