I went to the Money Museum (Museo do Dinheiro) in Lisbon earlier today (just got back in fact), and there were more than a few interesting things on display I thought I'd share with everyone.
A silver ingot stamped by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) dating from the 1730s:
A mold for casting Moroccan falus coins:
A couple of old coin dies; one for a 1731 26,000 Réis coin, and another for a medieval gros tournois:
The oldest surviving banknote type in the world; printed under the Ming Dynasty in China
And finally, my favourite: this silver punch bowl supposedly made in England around 1810, with dozens of old coins and medals from between the 16th and early 19th centuries embedded in its surface (some of the coins date from well after 1810, so perhaps those were added later):
In short, it's a small museum (got through everything in under an hour), but it's definitely worth a go if you call yourself a coin collector or numismatist. This was my first time going to a museum dedicated specifically to coins and banknotes, and they have a wonderful collection of items. The chronological timeline of Portuguese currency is the highlight of the place, I went in with Portuguese numismatics being on the fringe of my numismatic interest and came out knowing far more about the subject than I ever did. Recommended through and through!
