Within the framework of the BCRA’s 80th anniversary, the Museum has released four videos and invites you to travel in the history of money through banknotes and coins that have circulated in our territory from early native peoples’ times to the present day.
The Museum of the BCRA´s vast experience makes it the custodian of the most complete and valuable national monetary heritage in the history of Argentina.
The Museum was opened on May 30, 1941, on the initiative of the former Deputy Governor of the BCRA, José Evaristo Uriburu (h). Since then, it has become an important channel for integration and communication between the BCRA and society through different tours for visitors from Argentina and worldwide, primary and secondary schools, older adults, people with different abilities, and numismatic collectors and researchers, on the one side; and online platforms, on the other.
In 2017, one of the most outstanding numismatists, Héctor Carlos Janson, donated his collection to the Museum, which in turn was named after him as a symbol of gratitude.
The Governor of the BCRA, Miguel Ángel Pesce, highlighted the importance of the Museum’s role stating: “History is a science that unveils the truth through palpable facts, and museums host part of these facts. For this reason, the work under way at the BCRA Museum is critical to get to know the history of our currency in symphony with currency evolution in the world, learning about the characteristic features of each period. We are witnessing a fundamental change in the means of payment, a changeover even more radical than that gone from coffee beans or bags of salt to metal coins and paper money. Now, we are moving on to electronic payments, virtual wallets, and biometric verification. Telling about this revolution to next generations will be an effortful challenge. After watching the progress our museum has made in telling the history of money, they will rise to it for sure.”
In turn, the director of the Museum of the BCRA, Mabel Esteve, pointed out that “during this time, the collection has been progressively increased by donations from generous numismatic experts, giving a strong impulse to culture.” He also added: “Likewise, many colleagues who came before me succeeded, with great effort, in acquiring unique pieces or private collections that otherwise would have been scattered in different hands around the world. Their effort has led to achieve the most important heritage repository of Argentine coins over history.”
Videos of the most outstanding pieces of the collection
The introductory video, the first of four videos released on the occasion of the Museum’s anniversary, provides a summary of its history and collection that also treasures archaic pieces from China, and Greek coins from the 5th century BC. In addition, it provides information about the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange building erected in 1862, and transferred to the BCRA in 1942. It was later declared National Historical Monument in 2005.
As regards the other three videos, the Museum’s guides walk us through different periods of the Argentine history: from the economy of the early native peoples to the introduction of viceroyalty currency. They also talk about the first national coins over the independence and national organization period–such as the two existing 2 gold escudos cobs of 1813—and the first banknotes issued. In the last video, guides describe different national monetary lines: from the so-called Conservative Republic from 1880, through the 20th century up to the present Argentine currency.
To see the four videos available click here.
Virtual tours are currently available for educational institutes and can be requested by email to museo@bcra.gob.ar.
