I was at that show as well, representing Heritage as I have been for the last thirty-plus years at German shows. As an “old hand” here in Europe, I obviously read with interest the reaction of American colleagues who visit such a show for the first time. Things that are obvious to me, and second nature after decades here in the European coin market and speaking fluent German, still come, I see, as surprises to Americans visiting for the first time.

Germans, and indeed, most Europeans, laugh at Americans who come to Europe like missionaries, thinking the ignorant Europeans need to be taught how to grade coins, and that they need us to show them. Of course slabbing coins hasn’t caught on big here. Europeans have been collecting coins before there was a United States of America. They are not about to change their tastes and habits just because we suddenly show to tell them we know better.

For example, you said there were not a lot of nice coins at the show. From an American point of view, I would agree with you. But a German would think you were blind. I spent most of my time at the table of our “brother” firm in Germany, Fritz-Rudolf Künker of Osnabrück. He has by far the biggest auctions in Europe now, and does a brisk retail and wholesale business as well. Their table was ALWAYS busy. Why? Because they are Europeans doing business with Europeans. Germans have a different standard of grading from America. A light cleaning or hairlines, fatal to an American coin, are not a serious defect to a German. The tiniest of rim nicks, on the other hand, turn an otherwise gem coin into an undesirable piece of junk to a German, where it wouldn’t bother most Americans at all, especially since a slab might cover it up completely. But that’s the point. European collectors want to feel their coins in their hand.

I was at a Swiss show once, back when a California dealer was trying to introduce PCGS to Switzerland. He had a $3 gold piece, a denomination that does not show up here often. It was in a PCGS slab. A swiss collector came up while I was at the table, and asked to see the coin. The California dealer handed him the $3 in the slab, and the Swiss tried pulling the plastic every which way, to see how he could get the coin out. Giving up, he asked the California dealer to do it for him. Not speaking German, the California dealer asked me to translate. I explained that the Swiss collector wanted to see the coin out of the holder. The American asked me to tell him that it was permanently sealed in, and could not be removed. Incredulous, the Swiss asked me to repeat, to make sure he had understood correctly. I confirmed what the man from California said. The Swiss tossed the slab back onto the man’s table, called him a “verrückte Amerikaner (crazy American)” and walked off shaking his head.

Was the Swiss wrong? No more than the Californian was. We would laugh at a Swiss or a German coming over to American shows telling us to take all our coins out of slabs so that collectors could feel the edges. So, too, do most Europeans laugh at us coming over to Europe, telling them that they have been looking at grading all wrong these last several hundred years. There were plenty on “nice” coins there in Berlin–just not to our tastes. Most of the European dealers there did a brisk business–with other Europeans.

Another thing I have learned after decades here: many of the best coins brought to shows never make it out on display. Many Europeans bring their best coins in little pouches kept behind their tables for special clients. The best coins I bought in Berlin were not out at any table, but kept for me by dealers who know me, and know the sort of thing Heritage is looking for. Again–this is not right or wrong. It’s the way things are done here, and people suddenly showing up telling them they are going about things wrong are about as welcome as a Christian missionary showing up in Mecca during the Hajj.

To enjoy a numismatic trip to any country other than your own, one would be well advised to accept that people there are just as happy to do business their own way as we are how we do it in the USA.

Aside from that, although Berlin is not as physically attractive as some European cities, it is full of history, and has some fabulous museums. The city of Potsdam, long off limits as part of East Germany, is a gem of both history and architecture. Potsdam’s “Holländisches Viertel,” the “Dutch Quarter,” is worth the half hour trip out there all by itself.

As you pointed out, there is far more to Berlin than just a coin show.

John,

You are quite correct that Andy went to Potsdam at my suggestion. My wife is German, and had been there before, so when she took me there, she already knew her way around.

There is one other reason that the “cream” rarely shows up at European shows. It didn’t use to be this way. In the years since the opening up of western Europe to the east, thievery at (and after) coin shows has reached epidemic proportions. At the Berlin show alone, at least three major dealers were robbed of tens of thousands of euros’ worth of coins and money right before their very eyes (or noses).

These are professional bands, usually of three or more, and they are artists at their trade. The security room was the target of an unsuccessful break-in on Friday night at the Estrel. Heritage and our German “brother” firm of Künker hire, at huge expense, a security firm based on the Netherlands to accompany us to major shows and events.

This firm is comprised of ex-Mossad agents trained in counter-terrorism, and they recognize movements and body language that indicate trouble. They can give as good as they get, and they look like it.

They have already helped identify and capture some thieves, but there are always more, as several of our unfortunate colleagues in Berlin found out. The bad guys usually give us (Heritage and Künker) a wide berth, but our guys aren’t everywhere, and the local security guys (if there are any!) hired by the shows are just not up to the task. Therefore, almost no one puts expensive coins out on display at German shows.

As it is, there are always new reports of dealers being followed home from shows to get robbed at home, and Europe is so small that the bad guys can drive back home to Romania or Croatia (or wherever they come from) by breakfast with their take.

In France, it is even worse, with armed bands of armed ex-military guys hitting coin and/or precious metals dealers by following them home, and then holding a gun to their families’ heads if they don’t drive the robbers back to the shop, open the safe, and let them empty it. Some dealers (including Heritage) employ a security service that picks up the keys to the shop at a time set at random each day, and delivers them again to the shop the next morning. This is done very overtly so the bad guys should know it is useless to hit a dealer at home to force him back to his shop at night. This happened to a friend of ours in Paris, and the thieves didn’t believe him when he said he didn’t have the keys. They shot him in the hand and then in the leg, and left him to bleed to death when he still couldn’t open his shop. He was saved only due to someone walking his dog passing by a half an hour later. The dog smelled the blood. Business here in Europe has its dark side, unfortunately.

Our security expenses here are horrendous, but the potential cost of not having it is even more horrendous.