Attending the 2025 Berlin World Money Fair Coin Show

The Berlin World Money Fair once again proved to be a highlight of the annual coin show calendar. Held in Berlin at the Estrel Hotel from January 30th to February 1st, 2025, the highly anticipated coin show transformed the venue into a vibrant hub of activity for coin collectors, numismatists, and enthusiasts. Since its inception in 1970, this annual coin show has been a central meeting point for the global numismatic community, celebrating the artistry and history of coins with unmatched passion, and 2025 was no exception.

2025 World Money Fair Show Highlights

Attendees of the 2025 World Money Fair show came from near and far and included seasoned collectors, casual hobbyists, sovereign mints, private mints, dealers, auction houses, and more! Guests marveled at extraordinary collections of coins and paper money from around the world, showcasing everything from historical treasures to modern masterpieces.

Another major draw was the obligation free coin appraisal service provided by experts from the Berufsfachverband des Deutschen Münzfachhandels e.V., offering valuable insight for those curious about inherited or personal coin collections.

2025 Guest of Honor: Switzerland

Switzerland took center stage as the event’s Guest of Honor in 2025 as the Federal Mint Swissmint celebrated the 100th anniversary of the highly sought-after 100-franc Goldvreneli coin. Originally minted in 1925 with only 5,000 copies produced, this legendary coin is considered one of the largest and most beautiful coins ever issued by the Swiss Confederation.

Hands-On Minting Experience Center

One of the 2025 show’s unique attractions was the Minting Experience Center, a hands-on, interactive space. Visitors could explore and appreciate the art of minting coins through six engaging activity stations spread across 100 square meters. This experience not only allowed attendees to witness the minting process, but they also received a special World Money Fair Medal, created with dies made by the renowned B.H. Mayer Mint, each inscribed with a unique serial number!

The 21st Annual Technical Forum

The 21st Technical Forum was held on January 29th, 2025, and fostered discussions about the latest technologies and innovations in the numismatic industry, not only inspiring collaboration, but keeping participants informed about emerging trends. Speakers at the 2025 Technical Forum included representatives from global mints such as the Royal Canadian Mint and the Monnaie de Paris and production experts like Carveco and Redex Group. Some examples of the topics presented and discussed include “Digital Sculptors: How AI is Redefining Coin Design” and “Ultra-High Relief Coin Manufacturing Technology: Innovations and Challenges,” among other fascinating subjects.

GovMint at the 2025 World Money Fair

Once again, our company’s participation in the World Money Fair allowed us to connect with collectors, innovators, and industry leaders while uncovering exceptional coin selections to bring to our customers. Every year, the show reaffirms its reputation as an unmissable event for anyone passionate about the art and history of coinage. We are proud to have been a part of the 2025 Berlin World Money Fair’s rich legacy and look forward to what the 2026 show will bring!

Low Mintage First-Ever Privy Mark on Mint State Silver Eagles

In 2024, the U.S. Mint struck Mint State American Silver Eagles, featuring a privy mark for the first time! This groundbreaking release captivated collectors in 2024, making it arguably among the most sought-after Silver Eagle in years. With a limited mintage of only 500,000 coins, this issue represents a unique opportunity for collectors to add a piece of history to their carefully curated collections. Here at GovMint, we personally experienced the high appeal when we offered a small pre-release of the first monster box of 500 Star Privy Silver Eagles last October. It’s no big surprise that the initial release has already sold out and collectors have been clamoring to get their hands on the rest of this limited edition, first-ever run!

Special Star Privy

This is the first time a Mint State Silver Eagle has ever been issued with a privy mark and just the second time a privy has ever appeared on an American Silver Eagle. The privy design is a star that appears next to Adolph Weinman’s initials, “AW,” on the obverse.

Low Mintage Release

Only 500,000 of these first-ever Star Privy Silver Eagles have been authorized for production. While that number may seem high, considering the average annual mintage from 1986 to 2023 was 16,305,743 Mint State Silver Eagles, the Star Privy mintage accounts for just 3.1% of that average! Of the 635,923,982 Mint State Silver Eagles issued from 1986 to 2023, these low mintage eagles represent the only ones to possess a privy mark!

Even Lower Populations

We have a limited supply of perfectly graded 2024 Stary Privy Silver Eagles that earned the top Mint State 70 (MS70) grade from the experts at Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) and Professional Coin Grading (PCGS) paired with the desirable First Day of Issue (FDI) designation. Choose between individual and multipiece sets with certification labels hand-signed by numismatic legends, including John Mercanti, Michael Gaudioso, and more!

Of the low 500,000 mintage, how many will earn these impressive grades and designations? Here’s your chance to make sure at least one belongs to your collection.

Struck at the “Mother Mint” in Philadelphia Mint

Mint State American Silver Eagles are typically struck at the West Point Mint. However, the 2024 Star Privy Silver Eagles are also notable, as they were struck at the Philadelphia Mint. While our nation’s first mint in Philadelphia does not strike Mint State Silver Eagles regularly, from past “special production runs,” we know that Philadelphia-struck coins tend to achieve perfect Mint State 70 grades at lower rates than West Point and San Francisco…. making the perfect 70s available here even more sought after!!

2024 American Silver Eagles with Star Privy Marks represent a historic milestone in American numismatics. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or a newcomer looking to make your first purchase, these are not just coins. They are true collectors’ treasures you will want to secure for your own collection.

Featured Mint: The Royal Mint of Spain

The Royal Mint of Spain, also known as the Real Casa de la Moneda, is Spain’s national Mint. It has a rich history spanning centuries. The Royal Mint of Spain dates back to 1467, making it one of the oldest mints in the world. Although the first Mint of Spain began in 1467, it only lasted until 1473, when the king of Spain shut it down. This pattern continued throughout Spain’s history, with new mints being built and closed for various reasons.

For example, King Phillip II established a new mint in 1591 along the Eresma River, which eventually failed and relocated to a goldsmith’s workshop. In 1614, an official third mint was built in Madrid. This Mint lasted until 1861 when the fourth Mint was constructed to replace the outdated equipment used in the Mint of Madrid. Soon, the fourth Mint merged with the Stamp Factory in 1893 until 1964, when it would reform into today’s Real Casa de la Moneda or Royal Mint of Spain.

Today’s Royal Mint of Spain handles the production or mintage of Euro coins for circulation, gold and silver coins for coin collectors, medals, banknotes, stamps, and more. The Royal Mint of Spain also plays a vital role in creating secure documents for passports and other identification documents.

Coins of the Royal Mint of Spain

Over its lifetime, the Royal Mint of Spain has produced various types of coins, including classic issues such as the Spanish Escudo, Real, and Peseta. After Spain joined the European Union and switched to the Euro from the Peseta, they created eight denominations in 2002 ranging from 1 cent to 2 euros.

Although Spain would later update the designs of their series in 2010 and 2015, Spanish coin designs tend to depict notable figures, landmarks, or symbols such as the Head of State, His Majesty King Felipe VI, Miguel de Cervantes, the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, and 12 stars as depicted on the European Union flag. Euro coins produced by Spain maintain the same composition as other Euro coins produced throughout Europe. The Royal Mint of Spain also releases new commemorative euro coins each year.

Although Spain would later update the designs of their series in 2010 and 2015, Spanish coin designs tend to depict notable figures, landmarks, or symbols such as the Head of State, His Majesty King Felipe VI, Miguel de Cervantes, the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, and 12 stars as depicted on the European Union flag. Euro coins produced by Spain maintain the same composition as other Euro coins produced throughout Europe. The Royal Mint of Spain also releases new commemorative euro coins each year.

The Royal Mint of Spain in Film

In the first season of the TV show “Money Heist” (La Casa de Papel), the Royal Mint of Spain plays a significant role. The season starts with a heist led by the enigmatic Professor, who recruits a group of eight skilled criminals to infiltrate the Mint. Their goal? To print billions of euros, all while holding hostages inside the building. The Royal Mint is depicted as a high-security facility, and the show’s tension primarily revolves around the interactions between the robbers, hostages, and the police outside.

While the Royal Mint of Spain was the primary filming location for the first season’s heist, the exterior shots were not filmed at the Mint but at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). This location was used for outside shots since the Mint is operational and situated at a busy, hard-to- film intersection in Madrid.

Coins produced by the Royal Mint of Spain are rich with history and meaning. If you are ready to add Spanish coins to your collection, thanks to GovMint’s connections with the Royal Mint of Spain, many alluring Spanish coins are widely available in North America for the first time!

Coin Grading – The Sheldon Scale

In 1949, Dr. William H. Sheldon published “A Quantitative Scale for Condition” as a way of grading his collection of U.S. Large Cents. Twenty-eight years later, in 1977, the American Numismatic Association (ANA) published its own standards and definitions for grading, including Sheldon’s 70-point grading scale. Those standards and definitions are used by coin-grading companies today.

So Why 70? Sheldon’s strange choice of a 70-point scale was based on what he observed in the marketplace. He saw that the nicest of a common date were selling for about 70 times what the poorest examples sold for. The numbers 1 through 70 in his scale corresponded to the market value (in dollars) of coins ranked from Poor (PO-1), through Fair (FR), Good (G), Very Good (VG), Fine (F), Extremely Fine (XF), About Uncirculated (AU), to perfect Mint State (MS/PR70).

MS/PR-70: The finest quality possible, with no evidence of scratches or imperfections under 5 x magnification.

MS/PR-69: A fully struck coin with nearly imperceptible imperfections.

MS/PR-68: Very sharply struck with only minuscule imperfections.

MS/PR-67: Sharply struck with only a few imperfections.

MS/PR-66: Very well struck with minimal marks and hairlines.

MS/PR-65: Well struck with moderate marks or hairlines.

MS/PR-64: Above average strike; minor marks, mostly outside focal areas.

MS/PR-63: Average or better strike; scattered marks, though none severe.

MS/PR-61: Weak or average strike with no trace of wear. More marks and/or multiple large abrasions.

MS/PR-60: Weak or average strike with no trace of wear.

AU-58: Numerous abrasions, hairlines, and/or large marks. Slight wear on the highest points of the design. Full details.

AU-55: Slight wear on less than 50% of the design. Full details.

AU-53: Slight wear on more than 50% of the design. Full details.

AU-50: Slight wear on more than 50% of the design. Full details, minor softness on the high points.

XF-45: Complete details with minor wear on some of the high points.

XF-40: Nearly complete details with moderate softness on the design areas.

VF-35: Complete details with wear on all the high points.

VF-30: Nearly complete details with moderate softness on the design areas.

VF-25: Nearly complete details with more softness on the design areas.

VF-20: Moderate design detail with sharp letters and digits.

F-15: Recessed areas show slight softness. Letters and digits are sharp.

F-12: Recessed areas show more softness. Letters and digits are sharp.

VG:10: Wear throughout the design. Letters and digits show softness.

VG-8: Wear through the design. Letters and digits show more softness.

G-6: Peripheral letters and digits are full. Rims are sharp.

G-4: Peripheral letters and digits are nearly full. Rims exhibit wear.

AG-3: Most letters and digits are readable. Rims are worn into the fields.

FR 2: Some details are visible. Rims are barely visible.

PO-1: Enough detail to identify the coin’s date and type.