The History of Money Hall presents the development of money from its most primitive forms – such as grain, cowrie shells, furs and amber – up until modern electronic money. It also showcases the money of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Republic of Lithuania (1918–1940 and post-1990) in a global context.
The exhibition is divided into thematic sections that introduce the key stages of the history of money, e.g. “When goods still were money”, “When money became metal” or “Ancient Greece – pioneer of struck coins”. In the centre of the exhibition are the ancient coin hoards and jewellery articles with incorporated coins.
At a mock-up mint, you will be able to learn about the development of mintage: take a closer look at the tools used in primitive 15th-century mints or a screw press used in later times. There is also some footage of modern coinage techniques. You can even try your hand at striking a souvenir coin yourself.
Here you can find an exact copy of the standard gold bar, covered in real gold! Its weight is exactly the same as any gold bar in storage. Every visitor who comes to the museum can try to lift it, try out their strength, and touch real gold.
One of the most popular interactive tools in the museum is a scale that allows you to see how much you would cost if you were made of gold, silver or platinum. Linked to the Bank of Lithuania database, the scale converts a person’s body mass into the mass of a certain metal and then calculates their “value” based on actual exchange rates (in euro, dollars or another selected currency).
The floor of the hall is illuminated with an artistic installation, reminiscent of a river, called “Googol” (artist – Antanas Gerlikas), which symbolically sums up the whole idea of the exhibition, representing the history of humanity in respect of money, a multitude of its forms, size and mintage techniques.