“World of Money” Preview

National currencies are a powerful tool for learning about the world and our place in it.

“Money of the World Today: A Portrait of Global Society,” is open at the ANA Money Museum. The exhibit features a fresh approach to this fascinating sub­ject, taking visitors on a tour of the world, continent by continent. The journey’s departure point is marked by a huge globe, surrounded by world flags and a series of clocks marking the current time in many capital cities. And, of course, it’s all accompanied by stunning examples of world coins and paper money.

As travelers embark on their tour, they will view groups of display cases representing the world’s continents. Each has a corresponding panel that explains its political geography, illus­trated with spectacular satellite images of the region.

Examples of the currency of every recognized country of the world present a colorful collage of designs and images. Along with the amazing variety of numismatic specimens, visitors will experience the diversity of our planet’s people and terrain through hundreds of dramatic images. Not only is effect aesthetically pleasing, but it also provides a unique educational experience of the world’s currency and the underlying connections between our national economies.

To enhance the experience, visitors can purchase a “passport,” which includes questions that can be answered by viewing the displays. At each "border," visitors stop at a station to have their passports stamped, showing that they visited that portion of the exhibit. The combination of geography and numismatics should provide an especially powerful and compelling experience for students, perhaps inspiring a new generation of numismatists interested in the history of their money and that of their neighbors, and not just the exchange value of these pieces of cultural, political and social history.

As is usual in the preparation of a new exhibit, the research and gather­ing process itself is a learning experi­ence, providing insights into new areas of numismatics and their connections with other disciplines. The focus of this exhibit has encouraged me to look at the images and messages presented on modern currencies from a geographic and political perspective.

It is clear that money is changing worldwide, from the introduction of new materials for coins and notes and the use of innovative designs and color, to the abandonment of coins (and even, in some cases, the aban­donment of national currencies al­together). Such changes reflect the metamorphoses occurring in our world—the acceptance of economic and geopolitical realities, and, often, the subordination of traditional na­tional sovereignties through the for­mation of economic and monetary unions. Examples of these phenomena include countries such as Ecuador, which has made U.S. currency its legal tender in a practical effort to control its economy.

Also proving the point are the Euro­pean Monetary Union and various other official partnerships among African and Caribbean nations. They require participating states to give up the traditional calling card of inde­pendent nations—a unique currency that reflects national pride, history and ideology.

I hope that you will have the opportunity to experience “Money of the World Today” for your­self. I’d like to think the exhibit will inspire a broader understanding of numismatics and its relevancy to the contemporary international scene. museum@money.org

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