(Berlin, Germany) — As part of the company’s expansion of services to collectors and dealers of world coins, Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) officials will be actively involved in the huge World Money Fair 2009 (http://www.worldmoneyfair.ch/wmf/english/index.html) in Berlin, Germany, February 6 – 8, 2009.

Don Willis, PCGS President, and Muriel Eymery, PCGS Director of International Business Development, will host a trade show booth to exhibit representative examples of PCGS-certified world coins and discuss PCGS’ latest authentication and grading services. They will have multi-language brochures in English, German, French, Spanish, Polish, Russian and Mandarin Chinese, as well as a continuously running video display about the PCGS grading process.

“This is one of the most important numismatic events in the world, and this will be PCGS’ second consecutive year of participation as we continue to increase our services and products for world coins,” said Willis.

“Muriel and I will be meeting with a number of mint directors and other officials from around the world, as well as collectors and dealers, to talk about the success PCGS has experienced in recent years with certification of vintage and modern commemorative world coins.”

Willis will be available to personally meet with collectors and dealers in informal, one-on-one “Meet the Expert” meetings at the PCGS booth (B-17) from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on opening day, Friday, February 6.

The 38th World Money Fair will be one of the world’s largest numismatic events of 2009. There will be over 270 international exhibitors and an anticipated 12,500 visitors. The German Mint plans to launch its fourth two-Euro commemorative coin at the show.

PCGS is a division of Collectors Universe, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLCT). For additional information about PCGS, call (800) 477-8848 or visit online at www.PCGS.com.

(Long Beach, California) – The next Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo, February 5 – 7, 2009, marks the 50th anniversary in numismatics for internationally-known Expo General Chairman, Ronald J. Gillio. The three-day show will be held at the Long Beach, California Convention Center, 100 S. Pine Ave.

“It was early 1959 when I saw my first Lincoln Memorial cent, the first year they were made, and I was curious about it. Ever since then numismatics has been a vital and enjoyable part of my life,” said Gillio.

“My first collections – like everyone else – were mostly pennies and nickels. Living in Southern California when I’d go to my neighborhood banks in Southern California to get rolls of coins, I’d frequently find San Francisco mintmarks; coins that were scarce in other parts of the country.”

Gillio said his Mother and Father, Sandy and Angie Gillio, were very supportive of his hobby, and were with him to celebrate the opening day of his first store on State Street in Santa Barbara, California in 1974.

“It all started with just one new penny in my hands 50 years ago in February 1959. What will the future mean to other collectors with this year’s four new penny designs?”

One of the highlights of the February Long Beach Expo will be the first West Coast appearance of the Sunnywood’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” set of exquisitely toned Morgan silver dollars. The colorful, 97-coin set will be displayed at the booth of the Professional Coin Grading Service. (more…)

By Doug Winter – RareGoldCoins.com

I think this year’s FUN show will reveal alot about the direction of the market for the year. On Wall Street, it’s a known fact that if January is strong, the rest of the year is as well. I can’t state this with total certainty as far as coins go but my experience is that a strong FUN generally means the rest of the year will be good as well.

Early reports from the pre-FUN show (which I am not attending) are interersting. Some dealers clearly “get” the fact that the market isn’t as strong as it was and that their coins need to be repriced to sell. Others appear to be in strong denial mode. If you notice minimal changes in your favorite dealer’s inventory after this show, you’ll quickly figure out if he or she “gets” it or not.

For me, a problem at past FUN shows has been a lack of material. I’m not sure this will be the case this year. I’ve already bought some pretty outstanding new coins and I have the feeling that buying this year will not be as hard as in the past. Plus there is always the looming specter of $100 milion+ in coins at the auctions.

Someone asked me the other day what the keys will be to a dealer’s success (or lack of it) in 2009. I think it boils down to three simple things: ample capitalization, having good clients and having established programs to sell into. Any dealer who is weak in at least two of these three areas is in for a long year.

I’m not totally certain that the rare date gold market is going to be as easy to analyze post-FUN as is, say, the type coin or widget markets. None of the major auctions are especially strong in any of the important areas of dated gold. Early indications appear that nice pre-1834 gold seems to be doing fine, particularly if the coins have been approved by CAC. The Heritage sale contains an important collection of Indian Head eagles so we will, no doubt, get a feel for what gem examples of the rarities in this aerea are worth. But I’m afraid that areas like C+D gold, Type One and Two double eagles and Carson City issues won’t be as easy to gauge; at least not for the next month or two.