Department of Coins and Medals
The Department of Coins and Medals is home to one of the world's finest numismatic collections, comprising about one million objects. The collection spans the history of coinage from its origins in the seventh century BC to the present day, and related material such as coin weights, tokens and money boxes.
The department also holds the national collection of paper money, ranging from one of the earliest fourteenth century Chinese banknotes to the euro, as well as a mag
nificent selection of commemorative and art medals from the Italian Renaissance to the present.
The most extensive numismatic library in the country is also housed within the department and, like the collection itself, exists for the benefit of the scholar and general public alike. This material is brought to a wide audience through exhibitions, publications, a broad programme of educational events and through our study room facilities.
Temporary exhibitions are mounted by the department on a range of themes, featuring different parts of the collection, and the permanent Money gallery (Room 68) is currently being redisplayed. The new Citi Money Gallery opened on June 1 2012 and chronicles the development and use of money throughout the world.
