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KOREA MINT EXPLORES COMMEMORATIVESIn this report from the recent World Money Fair, the Korean Mint discusses plans to move deeper into the commemorative coins and medal space. -Editor As the global coinage industry undergoes a paradigm shift from traditional currency to collectible and artistic pieces, South Korea's state-run minting agency is looking to integrate its coin production with K-culture to develop a new high-value industry. The Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation (KOMSCO) announced on February 12 that it participated in the 2025 World Money Fair (WMF) in Berlin from January 29 to February 1, where it explored the latest trends in the international minting industry. 
With the rapid digitization of payments reducing the need for circulation coins, the WMF showcased a shift away from traditional currency like South Korea's 100-won coin. Instead, the exhibition was dominated by commemorative and artistic coins that serve as collectibles rather than means of transaction. The event drew approximately 15,000 visitors from around the world. Notable presentations included Canada's Royal Mint unveiling a 10-kilogram silver Maple Leaf coin, limited to just 299 pieces, which drew long lines for photo opportunities. Against this backdrop, KOMSCO is positioning itself to pivot from producing circulation coins toward manufacturing and distributing high-value artistic coins. The declining use of 10-won and 100-won coins in South Korea has reinforced the need for this transition. As part of its strategy, the agency plans to expand commemorative coin production for national events, historical landmarks, and cultural icons. Additionally, it is exploring the introduction of artistic coin programs modeled after those implemented by other countries to enhance their national branding. For ground truth I reached out to author and Korean coin expert Mark Lovmo. Thanks. See the earlier articles linked below for more on his books. -Editor Mark writes: "Everything stated in this article about South Korea's transition away from producing circulating coinage is true. This shift to much smaller mintages of business strikes and the emphasis towards bullion, medals, and commemorative coinage has been underway for the past 5 to 10 years. The Koreans have seen the success of the pieces by Austria with its Philharmonic bullion series, as well as those from other countries, and have wanted to similarly enhance their "national branding" via numismatics. The South Korean Mint (KOMSCO) is well-positioned to take on this new work."
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Wayne Homren, Editor The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org. To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All Rights Reserved. NBS Home Page Contact the NBS webmaster 
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