Numismatics Division - Latvijas Nacionālais vēstures muzejs

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Numismatics Division

The Numismatics Division collection consists of coin, bonistics, medal and phaleristics collections – around 160,000 units in total. The numismatic collections were initiated by the Riga Latvian Society Science Commission in the second half of the 19^th century, and new items are still being added to the collections. Their most valuable objects are those related to the history of Latvia and Latvians, however, since the very beginning, the numismatics collections have included items from all over the world and from all periods of history.

Head of the Numismatics Division Anda Ozoliņa

anda.ozolina@lnvm.lv

Bonistics collection

The bonistics collection consists of banknotes and securities from around the world that have served as official means of payment. The oldest paper money dates back to the late 18^th century. The “monetary chaos” that prevailed in Latvia during World War I and the War of Independence is particularly well-represented in the collection.

Phaleristics collection

The phaleristics collection consists of Latvian and foreign decorations. There is a thematically extensive and numerically large collection of agricultural societies and exhibitions award medals (mid-18^th century–1940). The largest and most thematically diverse part of the collection consists of badges and tokens.

Medal collection

The medal collection is small in number; one of its oldest items being a 1641 medal by Sebastian Dadler commemorating the 20^th anniversary of the capture of Riga by King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden. Noteworthy parts of the collection are the series of medals commemorating the Great Northern War and important events in history of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russian Empire.

Coin collection

The oldest objects in the collection are coins from Ancient Greece and Rome. A significant part of the collection comprises coins minted in different periods in the territory of Latvia and 13^th–17^th-century Livonian coins minted in the territory of Estonia. The collection also includes a comprehensive collection of coins from the Free City of Riga and the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia.