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All Belgium Brussels Museum of the National Bank of Belgium

Museum of the National Bank of Belgium

One of the oldest bank museums in Europe showcases unusual currencies of the world and other money-related miscellanea.

Brussels, Belgium

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
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The Museum of the National Bank of Belgium.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The Museum of the National Bank of Belgium.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Museum of the National Bank of Belgium   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Aes signatum, a form of Ancient Roman proto-money.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Uncut sheet of Revolution-era assignat money.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
A room full of ethnographic monies.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Museum of the National Bank of Belgium   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Museum of the National Bank of Belgium   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Museum of the National Bank of Belgium   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Playing cards once served as substitute money at one point.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Inside the former bank building.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Museum of the National Bank of Belgium   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Illustrations of early modern coins.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Museum of the National Bank of Belgium   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Be it run by a bank or mint, a money museum is not an uncommon concept across the globe, but on the whole such institutions tend to be neglected by a majority of tourists and locals alike. What’s there to expect, after all? A collection of coins and banknotes and nothing more, right?

Well, that is pretty much true, but one also must consider how many forms money can come in—and its history. The Museum of the National Bank of Belgium, the oldest of its kind in Europe, showcases how fascinating money can be, and how it itself has its own culture. 

Housed in the grandeur of the former Union du Crédit de Bruxelles building from the early 1870s, the museum recounts the general history of money, from the origin of coinage in ancient Lydia to Belgium’s shift from the franc to euro, and back to the proto-money such as Celtic sun-wheels, ancient Roman “aes signatum” ingots, and strands of cowrie shells once used by the Yoruba people.

On the first floor, there is a collection of money-related miscellanea, including a French playing card that served in place of money in the colonies, several engravings and political cartoons, a street performer’s hat with coins in it, and even an LP copy of AC/DC’s 1990 single “Moneytalks.” Another thing that makes this money museum worth a visit is its admission: it’s free. 

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History & Culture Money Museums

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Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Published

January 20, 2023

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Museum of the National Bank of Belgium
57 Rue Montagne aux Herbes Potagères
Brussels, 1000
Belgium
50.84984, 4.357213
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