MIF Maastricht 2026: our spring and autumn visits to Europe's largest collectible banknote fair

Twice a year, the MIF Paper Money Fair transforms the MECC in Maastricht (Netherlands) into the global meeting point for banknote collecting. In 2026, Iberoamericana Banknotes, a Gijón-based online store for collectible banknotes, attended both editions as a visitor: the spring edition, from April 28 to May 3, and the autumn edition, from September 22 to 27. In this article, we give you an inside look at the fair, what we went looking for, and what we brought back for our customers.

What is the MIF Paper Money Fair

The MIF Paper Money Fair is the major European event for paper money. It is held twice a year, in spring and autumn, at the MECC Maastricht convention center, featuring 3,500 m² of exhibition space. The autumn 2026 edition brought together more than 210 exhibitors from 57 countries and territories: dealers, auction houses such as Stack's Bowers, Heritage Auctions Europe, Spink, or Noonans, and grading services like PMG and PCGS. The main focus is banknotes, although historical stocks, bonds, and coins are also present.

Both 2026 editions followed the same three-phase schedule:

• Pre-show (April 28–30 and September 22–24): working days for dealers and collectors with specific admission.
• Dealer Day (May 1 and September 25): a day for professionals.
• Fair open to the public (May 2–3 and September 26–27): the big weekend, with all exhibitors present.

In both editions, PMG, the world's largest banknote grading company, offered on-site grading and answered questions from attendees. Furthermore, in the spring, the Stack's Bowers auction held in conjunction with the fair exceeded 2.6 million dollars across 640 lots.

Why we went to Maastricht

Iberoamericana Banknotes sells online to collectors in many countries, but the banknote market continues to thrive through face-to-face interactions. In Maastricht, wholesalers distributing new issues, dealers specializing in specific countries, and the collectors driving demand are all in the same room. That is why we decided to attend both editions this year.

We had three goals:

1. Buy at the source. Acquire banknotes directly from wholesalers and dealers from each country, examining them in person, and accessing issues and countries that do not reach us through regular channels.
2. Sell outside of Spain. Introduce our shop to dealers and collectors in markets where we did not yet have a presence and open wholesale opportunities to international professionals.
3. Grade. Certify banknotes with PMG at the fair itself, avoiding the costs, wait times, and risks of international shipping.

What we did between the two editions

• We bought directly at the source. We hand-selected material from wholesalers and dealers from different countries, without intermediaries. Seeing the note in person, rather than just a photo, is the best guarantee for those who buy from us later.
• We sold to foreign dealers and collectors and opened a wholesale channel for professionals.
• We made around 20 new professional contacts, including suppliers and customers from different countries.
• We graded banknotes with PMG at the fair. We returned to Gijón with items from our inventory already certified and encapsulated.
• We strengthened our relationship with the major auction houses present (Stack's Bowers, Heritage Auctions Europe, Spink, and Noonans), a channel for consigning higher-value pieces, as well as with Spanish dealers in attendance.
• We visited the International Bank Note Society (IBNS) stand, whose Mosaic Chapter we collaborate with: this year, we were part of the jury for the Best African Circulating Banknote 2026 competition.
• We attended conferences by Royal Joh. Enschedé, a banknote printer, on the manufacturing process and banknote security features.

What this means for our customers

The two visits are reflected in our catalog. The material purchased in Maastricht is added to the store after each edition, along with the banknotes graded by PMG. New suppliers give us access to issues and countries we couldn't offer before, and what we learned at the fair reinforces our appraisal, grading, and certificate of authenticity services.

Home

You can see our latest additions by clicking here. And if you are looking for a specific banknote that you can't find on our website, write to us via WhatsApp or email: after Maastricht, it is very likely we know where to find it.

If you are interested in new issues, we also recommend our article on the new 5000 peso banknote of Cuba 2026.

We will be back

After attending two editions in the same year, the MIF is now a permanent fixture on our calendar. For an online store based in Gijón that sells worldwide, being in Maastricht is the most direct way to grow outside of Spain.

Project funding

The participation of Iberoamericana Banknotes as a visitor in the two 2026 editions of the MIF Paper Money Fair (MECC Maastricht, Netherlands; April 28 to May 3 and September 22 to 27, 2026) is a project co-financed by the Gijón/Xixón City Council, through Gijón Impulsa, within the framework of the 2026 Market Diversification grant call.