CROGOLD 2026: Gold conference interesting for the numismatic audience

The fourth annual gold conference was held in Zagreb on May 21, 2026, at the Hilton Garden Inn hotel CROGOLD 2026. The conference brought together domestic and foreign precious metals experts in the fields of economics, precious metals trade, minting, and processing industries, while the topics covered also included numismatics and collecting.

Over the past few years, we have witnessed a strong growth in interest in gold and silver, both among investors and collectors. The rise in precious metal prices, increased demand for physical gold, and the growing presence of modern gold and silver coins on the market make such a conference interesting even to an audience primarily engaged in modern numismatics.

Precisely for this reason, it is especially pleasing that such an event is taking place in Zagreb which, although primarily dedicated to gold as an investment and a form of value protection, in one important aspect also touches the numismatic world. Gold and silver coins, especially modern commemorative issues, lie at the intersection of investment, collecting, artistic design, and a personal relationship toward an object preserved for future generations.

The author of these lines had the opportunity to attend this year's conference, after having to miss last year's edition. The impression is very positive: a large number of participants gathered, the lectures and panel discussions were substantive and interesting, and the audience had the opportunity to ask questions and directly hear the opinions of experts on current economic and financial trends.

*To the delight of some, there was also the possibility of asking questions.* Source: Crogold.com.

The conference program covered topics such as the reasons why the world is buying gold, the record demand for gold, possible economic trends in the upcoming period, transparency in the valuation and purchase of gold, and the various roles of gold as an investment, a collectible, and a luxury product. Participants in the panels and lectures included, among others, Ph.D. Sasa Ivanovic from Centar Zlata, Joerg Endres from Argor-Heraeus Deutschland, Kurt Matta from Heimerle + Meule Austria, economists Vedrana Pribičević, Mladen Vedriš, PhD, and Ivan Lovrinović, PhD, as well as Ivan Odrljin from the Croatian Mint.

One of the questions that particularly interested the audience related, as expected, to the future movement of gold and silver prices. Of course, no one can predict future market prices with certainty, but from several presentations it could be concluded that experts still attach great importance to precious metals in a period of financial and geopolitical uncertainty. The fact that central banks have been increasing their gold reserves for years was particularly highlighted, further confirming the importance of gold in the modern financial system. The official press release from the conference emphasized that participants do not see the increased interest in gold as a passing trend, but as part of longer-term economic developments.

For the numismatic audience, the most interesting part of the conference was certainly the panel entitled „Three faces of gold: investment, collecting or luxury“, which was attended by Petar Uremović from Centar Zlata, Ivan Odrljin from the Croatian Mint, and Vilson Široka from Zlatarna Široka. It was precisely in that part that they discussed gold coins, silver coins, and modern Croatian numismatic issues.

Ivan Odrljin from the Croatian Mint pointed out that the value of a gold coin is determined not only by the amount of precious metal, but also by its limited mintage, manufacturing quality, artistic design, and the story that a particular issue carries. This is a perspective close to every collector: a coin is not merely a specific mass of gold or silver, but an object that combines history, symbolism, design, and collector value.

*Gold coin “King Tomislav”.* Source: Croatian Mint.

Of particular interest to the numismatic audience is the answer by Ivan Odrljin from the Croatian Mint to the question of which commemorative edition of modern Croatian currency saw market interest significantly exceed the minted quantity. As he pointed out, that was definitely the edition dedicated to King Tomislav, for which the demand was far greater than the available quantities of gold coins, silver coins, and even circulating coins.
Such interest may have surprised even the Mint itself, but it also confirmed how much the success of a numismatic issue is influenced by the choice of motif, its historical and national significance, and a high-quality artistic design. King Tomislav proved to be an excellent example of an issue that attracted buyers even outside the usual numismatic circle, precisely because of the importance of the major national jubilee.

The conference was also a good opportunity for live meetings and conversations. The numismatic community largely connects via the internet, social networks, forums, and private correspondence, so events like this allow people who have known each other only virtually for years to finally meet in person. Such meetings are often just as valuable as the lectures themselves, as they open up space for the exchange of experiences, knowledge, and new contacts.

CROGOLD 2026 showed that the topics of gold and silver are not important only to investors and economic experts. They are also very interesting to collectors, especially at a time when the Croatian Mint is issuing an increasing number of contemporary gold and silver coins, and the market value of precious metals has an increasingly significant impact on the numismatic market.

All in all, it is a commendable, well-organized, and content-wise interesting event for Zagreb and Croatia. It is to be expected that future editions of the conference will attract an even larger number of participants, among them more female and male colleagues from the numismatic world.