Going for gold – on a massive scale
G4S expertise protected a very special exhibit on its journey through three European countries
When a single gold coin went on display at three venues in Scandinavia and the Baltics in June, the event called for extraordinary security measures.
This was no ordinary gold coin. One of only five that have been minted, it is – to quote one media report – as big as a pizza. Others described it more elegantly as the size of a car wheel and as thick as a hardcover novel. And its 3,215 troy ounces consist entirely of .9999 pure gold.
Produced in 2007 by the Royal Canadian Mint with a face value of C$1 million (almost £500,000), the Gold Maple Leaf bullion coin’s rarity and the rising cost of gold mean it is now worth between two and three times that amount.
When Nordic Moneta, part of the Mint of Finland Group, decided to open its own store in Riga, Latvia, to sell commemorative coins to collectors and the public, it devised a marketing plan that succeeded in gaining maximum publicity for the venture.
It took the 100-kilo gold coin on a three-day road show, displaying it at the Bank of Finland Museum in Helsinki, then taking it on to a luxury hotel in Tallinn, Estonia, to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Estonia Coin Shop (Eesti Mundiari), before arriving at the newly-opened Latvijas Monetu Nams store in Riga, Latvia, where it went on show for just two hours.
To achieve this plan required maximum security for the static displays of the massive gold coin in the three countries, as well as transportation and other risk management measures including insurance and vaulting.
There was just one provider – G4S – who was judged to be capable of such an operation. At the customer’s request, G4S International (G4SI), the Group’s global transporter of valuables, was appointed coordinator and provider of these services.
News of the roadshow reached G4SI Frankfurt’s managing director Lothar Walther from both Mikko Leskinen, product manager, G4S Cash Services (Finland), and Walter Braun at Coins Medals, Frankfurt, a subsidiary of Jewellers Trade Services in London, which owns the gold coin.
Stefan Dingeldein, G4SI Germany’s sales manager, began working in close coordination with Nordic Moneta’s director of public relations, Hakan Forsgard. They agreed on optimal routing for the coin and customised operating sequences to protect it.
G4SI also acted as a security consultant during the initial planning phase, advising on the most effective and secure means of exhibiting the coin and the time factors that needed to be considered in order to ensure the whole process was handled securely and efficiently.
Originally, the plan was for the roadshow to visit more venues in Scandinavia, but this was revised because the risk was considered too high.
During the one-and-a-half months of preparation, Mikko Leskinen was G4SI’s main contact for the customer, planning and accompanying the entire road transport of the valuable exhibit through the Baltic States. He was responsible for planning the security services in Helsinki, too. Joern Frese, G4SI’s trade show manager, Europe, coordinated transport between the countries and also accompanied the golden cargo.
Vilmar Waldes, sales manager of G4S Security Services (Estonia), signed the contract for security in Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, and Valdis Jekabsons, head of the Board of G4S Cash Services (Latvia), together with Gunars Rozite, the company’s operations manager, did the same for the show in Riga.
Meanwhile, Stefan Dingeldein in Germany coordinated G4SI’s and G4S Security Services’ operations, agreeing the whole process in advance with the partners and insurers.
“The cooperation of all service partners involved is almost unique and clearly shows the potential through communication, teamwork and determination in the whole of G4S,” comments Lothar Walther. “It was a very successful exercise and I congratulate all persons, venues and partners who made this ‘journey’ possible.”
This page is an edited version of the article featured in the September 2008 edition of International.
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Going for gold – on a massive scale