In support of its principal objective (to present economic notions, mechanisms and major debates in a pedagogical and interactive format), the Cité de l’Économie et de la Monnaie will exhibit collections of coins, banknotes (and machines used in their manufacture) alongside a range of objects used by the banking profession. Notably, the Banque de France will be exhibiting a selection of its collections for the first time on a permanent basis. There will also be elements on loan from other museums. A foretaste of some of these precious items…
Caesar’s money
The monetary situation at the end of the Roman Republic was somewhat chaotic. It was characterized, in particular, by the issuance of base metal coins, which led to a loss of confidence in the value of the currency, denounced by Cicero in particular. Thanks to his political position, Julius (…)
The Schoonheyt collection of exchange means
On 28 November 2012, Jacques Schoonheyt, a numismatist and member of Belgium’s Royal Numismatic Society, donated his collection covering more than 4,000 years of the history of payment means to the Banque de France.
The ’Agnel d’or’ of Philip the Fair
Minted for the first time in 1311, at the end of the reign of Philip IV the Fair (King of France from 1285 to 1314), the “Agnel d’or” represents on the obverse a lamb, symbol of Christ, and on the reverse, a cross bearing fleurs de lys. This coin of pure gold (24 carats) weighed just over 4 grammes. (…)
The first European banknote
Cité de l’Économie et de la Monnaie is to exhibit a facsimile, a gift by Stockholm’s Myntkabinettet, of one of the first ever European banknotes – a 100 daler note, issued by Stockholms Banco in 1666.
First banque de france banknotes
Immediately after its creation in January 1800, and before issuing its own banknotes, the Banque de France used those of the Caisse de comptes courants, on which it wrote « Payable à la Banque de France ». Then, in June-July 1800, it issued its first banknotes in two denominations: 500 francs (…)
French gold
During the First World War, the manufacture of weapons for French troops was to a large extent financed by the Banque de France gold reserves. This film, based on Pathé-Gaumont’s archive documents, retraces this period. It shows how the call by French authorities for citizens to contribute (…)
The vaults of the Banque de France
After the First World War, it was decided to strengthen the security of the Banque de France’s gold reserves. The construction of an underground vault underneath the head offices of the Banque de France was therefore initiated. The film, made by the Banque de France, tells the story of the major (…)
The creation of 10 000 F Bonaparte
The decision to create the bill bearing the image of Bonaparte dates back to 1952 at a meeting of the General Council of the Banque de France in which it was decided to radically change the presentation of banknotes: the new series would no longer show allegorical figures but portraits of (…)
Banknotes from french overseas departments and territories
Following in the tradition of French banknotes (designed by an artist and presented as a painting), banknotes from the French overseas departments and territories illustrate key events or famous people in the history of the department or territory concerned, or show the local landscape or (…)
