Interview with Jan Niklas Betz

A few months ago, the Swissmint Boutique was opened at Swissmint. Jan Niklas Betz, Head of Marketing and Sales at Swissmint, answered a few questions for us.

You opened the Swissmint Boutique a few months ago. What is exactly is this Boutique all about?
The Swissmint Boutique is the place where we can present our coins and our work to both the general public and our colleagues from the Federal Administration. Although we never intend the Boutique to become a public sales outlet for our coins, it will be possible to organise occasional coin sales there.

What was the main reason for opening the Boutique and what are your aims with this new offering?
The main reason for opening the Boutique is that we want to sell our coins. We are convinced that we can bring the magic of our special coins and the fascination surrounding numismatics to life in the Boutique. I see the Boutique as an excellent opportunity to make our coins accessible to a wider audience, which gives me great pleasure on a personal level.

 

“In the boutique, our visitors have the opportunity to marvel at Swissmint’s new products, both physically and digitally.”

In addition to purchasing coins, what other experiences and insights into the world of minting does the Swissmint Boutique offer visitors?
The digital presentations offer detailed insights into each coin design. We also show coins from our own collection, including some that may never have been on display before, as well as selected coins from other mints. Our aim is to introduce visitors to the wide world of numismatics and to show them innovative numismatic products from around the globe.

How is the selection of coins offered in the Boutique put together? Are there any exclusive or limited editions that will be available only in the Boutique?
Our Boutique’s range is predominantly made up of our standard products, occasionally supplemented by a carefully selected range of coins from other mints. From time to time, we will also offer remaining stock for sale in the Boutique. Visitors will only find out whether there is any such stock by visiting the Boutique, as we will not be making any announcements about this.

 

“I see the boutique as an excellent opportunity to make our coins accessible to a wider audience,
which gives me great pleasure on a personal level.”

What other plans do you have for the Boutique? Could you imagine collaborating with museums, artists, mints in other countries, pop-up restaurants, etc.?
At the moment, we have no specific plans for the Boutique. However, our greatest wish is for the mint and the Boutique to be used for state receptions by our Federal Councillors in the future. It would be a great honour and pleasure for us if representatives of the Federal Administration were to present Swissmint and the minting facility to their visitors.

Should Swissmint and the Swissmint Boutique be among the top sights in the city of Bern, or are you more in favour
of keeping it as an insider tip?
I believe it is essential that the opportunity to visit the Federal Mint is widely publicised. However, it remains to be seen how this will develop. It is important that we never forget that our main task is the production of our circulation and special coins, and that the Boutique cannot be run as a separate business activity. The Boutique does offer the opportunity to provide an insight into our work, but we will not be providing any additional staff or resources for the Boutique.

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