Coin shopping in Berlin

OzzyAndy · July 2, 2011 5:07AM

I´m currently in Germany battling a different arrangement of characters on the keyboard. Was in Berlin for a couple of days and went looking for coin stores.

First one only opened at 10 so after waiting rang the bell and was shown in (Can´t remember right now what it was called, it was North of Friedrick strasse S-bahn). Owners didn´t speak English so it was a good challenge for me to use my improving German. Got a West German Uncirculated set and Euro Uncirculated set for my type set of German Coins from 1871-current in stempelglanz. Also got an April 2011 Moneytrend magazine, a few DDR 1950´s small coins for my type set and a few Empire and Weimar 1 Marks for my 1 Mark set. Asked about the 1949-1950 DDR 50 pfennig saying "Ich suche das in Stempelglanz aber ich can nicht es finden"(I'm seeking that in Uncirculated but I can't find it), by far my biggest German sentance said to date. She shook her head and implied I'm wasting my time. Looked at quite a bit of other stuff but had to ask for each thing I wanted. Spent 200 Euro, asked if they`d take some of my Deutschmark coins and they said no but gave me the one address in Berlin where I can cash them, the Landzentral bank.

Took U-bahn to that bank and walked to one end of the street and found I'd stuffed up the numbering and it was at the other end (this in 35 degree heat). Finally got to it, a very imposing building. Went to front desk and they directed me upstairs where I had to take a number and wait about half an hour. When my number was called went into a secure room with them behind a glass screen, handed over my 303 Deutsche marks (in common date 5, 2 and 1 Mark coins) and got 157 Euros. Not worth the trouble but quite an experience. Looked for about 7 other shops I'd written down back home, and found 2 of them, Google maps is useless. Those two didn't have anything I was looking for, One was mainly stamps and the other was a small window in the tourist area of town (near the zoo) and referred me to their website.

Bit dissappointing considering I had 1 and a half very busy days walking the streets of Berlin but loved the experience. Am now in Bamburg, tried to visit the only coin shop I could find but they had shut down. Hope to be able to visit one more in about a week but on a very busy tour so may be difficult.

IloiloKano · July 2, 2011 7:20AM

Thanks for sharing your experience. It was like a virtual tour.

TwoKopeiki · July 2, 2011 8:31AM

Great walkthrough, Andy!

YQQ · July 2, 2011 8:58AM

Well Ozzy Andy...
please do not blame the German coin stores for your somewhat not satisfactory experience.
I strongly believe , had you posted your visit and desires here befoe you left, you would have been guided very well to the best stores..., or prevented from going to the worst.
There are some great coin stores in Berlin.
HOWEVER... there are few deals to be had..UNLESS... you were recommended by one of their "good" clients.
Most have their nose up in the air, and most could care less what you want.....................most are "fat cats", making their $ either with mint crap they buy wholesale, or they are specialized in OLD and rare coins...

another subject is that most coin dealers in Germany will rather sell you current mint crap, i. e. subscription coins.
If you are looking for other, you need to know where to go.
so, next time, be smart before you go......Please, I am not trying to insult you here... just make sure you will be ok next time..
BTW, same or worse goes for
France.......... is much worse there,they think they are the Cats meow...
Austria... so, so, but bad
Switzerland..... worse than France..., they have their common sense up their...u know what...
However.... If they know you are coming.... it is a different story...
they will have everything you asked for ready plus.....
they will offer u coffee or whatever...
and if you are interested in high end pieces... they will have a translator available if needed.

I do speak German, but not French....,
2 years ago my GF and I watched a French dealers website for Canadian coins. he had 3 listed, one I was interested in. we dropped by in Strasbourg without an "appointment" and a young french lady was trying to get rid of us, like we were pest... tourists...
so I suggested that we were not just "looking" and wanted to by this specific coin listed in his site.
finally THE guy came, his nose up his wazzzzzuuuu ....
and suggested that we might not be able to afford "THE" coin he had listed. It was 2,200 Euro...
so I showed him my Platinum AMX... hiz eyes lid up.... and....... out came : the coffee, cognac and about 20 other Canadiqn coins,
Then finally, he let me look at "THE" coin, a 1913 Canadian Sovereign....... he claimed it to be UNC+
so I asked him where the circulation marks came from, NOT the bag marks....
he said, well , what do you expect from a coin close 100 years old?
case closed on this one...

BUT his other coins contained a treasure he was not aware of... a very rare variety of a 1859 1 Cent piece in about AU55. bought it for cash for Euro 10.... Value???? Euro 700+
this is the experiences one can have....
I told him after I had the coin and my receipt....
he said: we are using the big catalogue for values......
I rest my case...
H

pruebas · July 3, 2011 4:57AM

I was recently in Munich and found no problem with anyone speaking English. My problem was finding coins, medals, and books!

I think most of the dealers there sell most of their material via auction, so there is little to do in their offices other than to drop off consignments and pick up purchases. This was true for Künker, Lanz, Helios, and Hirsch.

Münzgalerie München was the best place by far, with a wide variety of coins, medals, and books. In typical European fashion, you had to tell them what you wanted and they went "in the back" to locate the pieces, which came out on a tray. Very friendly and excellent English. Don't expect any VAT refund though.

Gorny & Mosch had just moved into new quarters, so they had not gotten all their material set up to show. They had a lot of German coins on display, but little else including German medals. I see great potential here.

There were many "mom and pop" stamp & coin stores, but it seems every time I passed one they were closed for lunch and I didn't want to wait.

I also found a large stamp & banknote shop on the north side of the main train station. I browsed in the window for a while, but did not enter.

I definitely recommend the Bavarian State Coin Collection at the Munich Residenz.

OzzyAndy · July 4, 2011 12:09AM

Sorry, wasn't complaining about Germany or it's coin stores, if anything it was google maps, where I got the addresses from, that frustrated me. Loved to store I bought the coins from, just wish I could have had longer and had a better plan of what I was looking for. Wasn't looking for bargins but certainly not modern stuff and not much that cost more than I could it off the net and sent home.

Just for the record, I did ask for advice pre trip a few months ago, got some good responses. Has been hard trying to do it on a tour as well, only get 1-2 hour blocks to shop and you just never know where and when that will be. But loving it here and have realised my dream of shopping in a German coin store, though now I want more! Will be driving by myself to Switzerland on the weekend so will keep an eye out for more.

YQQ · July 4, 2011 12:48AM

sounds like a lot of fun.
suggestions and things to see on your route, assuming you come from Berlin:

Stuttgart, the old part of the city, fantastic, everyone speaks English
A very good coin shop on busy street:

Meister & Sonntag. Charlottenstrasse 4, 70182 Stuttgart. info@ams-stuttgart.de

From Stuttgart, it is only about 25 miles to the town of Metzingen.
There you will find over 100 original Factory outlets, covering everything from shoes to watches, from ladies stuff to super mans suits.
The world famous name BOSS had its first factory there and is the largest of the factory outlets there. Most items are anywhere from 25-70 % off US retail prices for their respective brand.
From there find yourself driving to ULM to climb the largest church spire in the world, 161 Meters (approx 180 yards) high. Please go up all the way, it is worth it). From make your way toward Lindau (1,5 hours drive) on the east side of the Lake of Constance). Then you have to decide to either go to Switzerland via Bregenz –Austria and enter Switzerland via Liechtenstein, or take the ever so scenic route west, along the lake, stopping for lunch, dinner or overnight (or all of it) in a small wine village along the way. Lots of B&B along. Some of the best wines come from a town called Hagenau. Trust me, if you like wine… it is a must.
Then take the Ferry to Constance and cross over to Switzerland from there.
Nothing is far there and before you know you are half through Switzerland
A coin shop, IF it still exists, is this. It was founded late 1960ties by my good friend Peter Hoeflich ( RIP). What happened after 1990 I do not know. BUT originally, there were a lot of US coins to be had.
Münzkabinett Zürich AG
Strehlgasse 27
8001 Zürich Kreis 1 (Lindenhof)
Almost everyone in Switzerland speaks English and french.

Good luck , have fun

YQQ · July 4, 2011 12:55AM

One more tip

usually most towns have tourist offices
go and see them... they know where to go and where the wine festivals etc are
they will also make sure you have a pillow to sleep on for not a small fortune.
their service, including making reservations for you, is usually free.
Try and stay away from large cities over night...much more fun in the country ( usually only a couple of miles away from cities)
should you be so lucky and stay bin a Gasthof with a butchershop attached..... well, you hit the jackpot. there are some....to find them is another story..
H

SYRACUSIAN · July 4, 2011 2:03AM

Coin shopping in Berlin? Aaah, the memories.

With Ron still president, bringing in hand my certified Ionian set in a box of 20, completely full.

Convincing that female German Customs employee that the coins were mine...

Or breaking Dirk's table at the show, but at least getting a nice proof half mark. Aye aye aye, looks like a bygone era, only in 2008.

spoon · July 4, 2011 5:23AM

If you do hit Stuttgart, be sure to check out the museum in the Altes Schloss, right in the middle of downtown. It has a really great coin collection on display from the former king of Württemberg. There's also the mint across the river in Canstatt, but I never actually visited it.. don't think they really have tours or anything for public consumption at the mint.

Coin shopping in Berlin

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