I posted this theme in the currency forum earlier this evening, but it got me thinking: I've only been to one museum that displays coins: the Royal Mint Museum at the Tower of London in London, UK. Anybody have any other recommendations stateside or abroad? I was looking forward to seeing the collection at the British Museum but my toddler daughter who came with us had a major tantrum and I didn't get a chance to see much. (Yes, I guess I could go and peruse a high end dealer's stock but I feel kind of weird doing that if I don't have the intention / cash to purchase).
Well, there's always the ANA Money Museum. It's in Colorado Springs, CO. The Smithsonian also has a heck of a coin collection (and a bunch of other neat stuff).
Probably the best exhibits in the US are the Smithsonian and ANA museums. The Shanghai Museum (上海博物馆) has a large display of the history of Chinese Coinage. The Field Museum in Chicago has a small display of gold coins. The Rutherford B. Hayes museum in Fremont, OH has the first Morgan dollar struck. The Augustus Saint-Gaudens National Historic Park in Cornish, NH has some coins in the context of the rest of his artwork.
Not necessarily a coin museum, but the gold museum in Dahlonega, GA has a complete set of Dahlonega mint gold coins on display. It's quite impressive!
In Europe, the Spanish mint (FNMT Casa de la Moneda) for example has a great museum in Madrid. And the coin cabinet in Berlin has a comprehensive collection - parts are "hidden" in drawers, others can be visited ... Christian
The Nevada State Museum (in Carson City) is the old Carson City Mint and has a great display of coins struck there at the mint.
Side note - the British Royal Mint plans to open a visitor center in Wales. May take some time though: "Last year it was announced that The Royal Mint will be opening a new Visitor Centre to the public at its headquarters in Llantrisant, Wales. Expect to see plenty of developments throughout 2015 with construction expected to start in Spring and the attraction due to open in 2016." (Source). And since we're "talking" about next year anyway the "Meta(l)morphoses" project should be completed then, and the French mint will have a visitor center in downtown Paris. Also, the Bundesbank's Money Museum in Frankfurt will re-open some time in 2016 ... Christian
Ottawa Canada has two great options. There is the Royal Canadian Mint that allows you to tour of the facility. This is a fun tour showing how coins are minted. www.mint.ca Also in Ottawa is the Bank of Canada Currency Museum. This is the best collection of coins and banknotes numismatic items in the country, and is a must see for any numismatist or just This is a great source for research as well. The museum is currently closed for renovations for a few years, but you can still view a large portion of the collection online at www.bankofcanadamuseum.ca Another sources across Canada are the local museums that have coin collections and numismatic items that can be viewed. In Toronto here it would be the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). Most museums will allow you to view items in storage if you make arrangements with them well in advance and book an appointment and private room.
The mesuem at Williamsburg VA has a nice collection on display as well. I would not make a trip down just to see it, but I would not skip it if I was down there already. I was not impressed with the general display at the Smithsonian, although maybe in part because I know how much more incredible material they have which is not on display.
I highly recommend "The Numismatourist" not just because I interviewed the author Howard Berlin, but because its a terrific book on the subject and, to my knowledge, the only one of its kind! http://news.coinupdate.com/interview-with-the-numismatourist-howard-berlin-4568/ There is information to enquire about obtaining a copy
San Francisco Mint may still have the Saddle Ridge Hoard on display. I think they also have other coins from the S.S. Central America shipwreck.
The Smithsonian numismatic collection is mind-boggling. However, only one small gallery's worth is currently on exhibit, in the National Museum of American History (now in the midst of a major remodel). It's worth stopping by if you're in Washington anyway... but it used to be a destination in itself. I'm not sure what the plans are for the thousands of items now boxed.
Hidden from view, like the other hundreds of thousands of coins that have never seen the light of day.
The Kunsthistorisches in Vienna has a pretty fantastic display of coins. The entire third floor of the museum is coinage.
try the british museum or the ashmoleum oxford.i think that the british museum used to let you into a private room to view the collection.
