December 2022

EDITORIAL: Cash in the challenged world economy

2022 closes with a world economy struggling to deal with heightened geopolitical uncertainty and with growth rates for 2023 at best challenged and potentially in decline. The inflation ‘genie’, generally under control over the past decade or so, is now out of the bottle and as Central Banks attempt to reign it in, the impact of a rapidly increasing interest rate response is placing households and consumers under serious strain.

As consumers feel the pressure of interest rate increases on their mortgages and more immediately through credit card debt, many will need to adopt weekly budgeting and tight financial management to help with what is shaping up to be a potentially difficult new year.

As we have previously discussed, cash is a very effective facilitator in helping to manage the weekly budget, let alone its use being free of interest rate increases.

Cash continues to play a very helpful role in difficult economic times.

MDC 2023, Canada, 15-18 October 2023

Founded in 1962, the next Mint Directors Conference (MDC) takes place in Ottawa, Canada, hosted by the Royal Canadian Mint.

Join us as we meet in person for the first time in five years. Come together with over 300 delegates from the minting and related industries to discuss the future of circulation coins, collector coins and bullion, as well as Industry contribution to the sustainability agenda. Discussion topics include:

• The social inclusion – the role of cash in an increasing digital payment environment
• How mints can and do contribute to the sustainability agenda
• Coexistence of cash and digital currency – myth or reality?
• How can mints play a part in the payment ecosystem of the future?
• Unprecedented world events and their impact on the industry – Sharing of experiences around the world
• What are the new trends in numismatics that could increase revenues?
• Do we need to rethink the numismatic ecosystem?
• How can we engage with the younger generation? How can we interest them in coin buying? In fact, let’s ask younger mint employees to join us at the conference to tell us.
• The bullion market insights
• The bullion/collectible coin boundary
• As an industry, where will we be in 10 years’ time… and more importantly is this where we want to be?

More information available here (with online registrations opening soon).

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