Money Museum of the Austrian National Bank

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The Money Museum of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank is located in the main building of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank on Otto-Wagner-Platz in Vienna- Alsergrund . The only money museum in Austria illuminates the topics money - currency - economy with its exhibitions .

history

In 1966, the Oesterreichische Nationalbank organized an anniversary exhibition on the occasion of its 150th anniversary. From this the idea of ​​a permanent exhibition germinated. In the 1980s, two showrooms were set up on the ground floor of the main building, which were open to the public once a week in the afternoon. As many objects as possible from the collections were presented in the traditional cabinet arrangement, strictly chronologically structured. In addition, there were individual exhibitions put together by external experts. In 1999, it was decided to realign the showroom into a modern museum with its own specialist staff. After several years of planning and renovation, the Money Museum finally went into operation in its current form in 2003. In addition to regular opening times, it has since offered guided tours and workshops for groups. With free admission, a permanent exhibition on Austrian monetary history corresponding to modern museological standards as well as changing special exhibitions can be visited.

Special features of the museum are a standard gold bar you can touch and what is currently the largest European gold coin - a 100,000 euro gold bullion “Vienna Philharmonic” with a weight of 1,000 ounces (approx. 31 kg).

Collections

The museum has an extensive monetary history collection with around 200,000 objects, which is constantly being expanded. It is one of the largest numismatic collections in Austria, after the coin cabinets of the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Graz State Museum Joanneum . The focus of the collection is on objects relating to the history of Austrian paper money, such as banknotes, printing plates, drawings and drafts. Most of these holdings have been preserved in various departments of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank during the almost 200-year history of the company and were brought together in a collection at the end of the 1990s. The highlights of this part of the collection include banknote designs by Peter Fendi , Gustav Klimt , Franz Matsch and Kolo Moser as well as two National Bank shares owned by Ludwig van Beethoven . Archival sources on the company's history are, however, kept in the bank history archive, which is not part of the money museum.

In addition to the paper money-related collections, the coin collection, which has been built up since the late 1950s, with almost 30,000 objects, forms the second major section. Here, too, the focus of the collection is on Austrian monetary history, although coins and alternative means of payment ( cowries etc.) from all over the world can also be found here. The oldest pieces include a Bronze Age button sickle ( equipment money ) and a Lydian 1/3 stater of King Alyattes II. Special numismatic rarities are the Judenburg gold gulden, Duke Leopold III , which has so far only survived in one copy . (1365–1386) and several coins from Salzburg. Above all, one of the rare Rübentaler of Leonhard von Keutschach and known by only five lion thaler of Hieronymus Colloredo . Some finds of interest in monetary history, as well as the Leypold collection (provincial Roman coins) on permanent loan to the Vienna Münzkabinett complete the spectrum.

literature

  • Coined history. Coins as a means of communication. Exhibition catalog of the Money Museum of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank. (Vienna 2011).
  • With salt, hatchet and beef on a shopping tour. Early payment methods in Europe. Exhibition catalog of the Money Museum of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank. (Vienna 2009).
  • Money in Austria. From antiquity to the present. of the money museum of the Austrian National Bank. (Vienna 2009).
  • Gold bar. Exhibition catalog of the Money Museum of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank. (Vienna 2008).
  • Be embraced millions - Beethoven and money. An exhibition in the Money Museum of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank. In: MÖNG 47 (2007) pp. 84–85.
  • Exhibition by the OeNB: Shaped for Europe. The history of the development of the euro coins - Euro-Coins Genesis. In: MÖNG 46 (2006) pp. 102-103.
  • Oesterreichische Nationalbank 1816–1966. Coin and paper money in Austria. (Vienna 1966).
  • W. Szaivert, C. Daburon: Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum Austria . Leypold Collection. Asia Minor Coins of the Imperial Era, Volume I: Pontus - Lydia. (= VIN 7, Vienna 2000).
  • W. Szaivert, C. Daburon: Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum Austria . Leypold Collection. Asia Minor Coins of the Imperial Era, Volume II Phrygia - Cappadocia and Indices. (= VIN 8, Vienna 2004).

Web links

Coordinates: 48 ° 12 ′ 58.4 ″  N , 16 ° 21 ′ 16.1 ″  E