Numismatics-related places to visit in the world?

Hello,

This may not be very apropos right now, with a pandemic going on and all, but I'm thinking of travelling overseas when it's safe again...Next year or so, hopefully. I haven't decided where, so I'm just searching for what to see in the meantime, looking up on (and adding entries to) Atlas Obscura and such.

So, I was wondering, can you tell me about some numismatically interesting places to visit? Any country's fine, from museum collections and coin-related monuments. I just need ideas!

Some places I can think of -- but have never visited -- are the ANS (New York), the Numismatic Museum (Athens), the One Million Cent Pyramid (Vilnius), "Pennies from Heaven" (Virginia), Dukatenmännchen (Germany), and the Big Nickel (Ontario). I saw some of the Brussels Coin Cabinet's collection and visited the museum at the Monnaie de Paris last year, but apart from those, not much internationally so far.

In Tokyo, where I live, I've been to a few historically important sites, such as the Kameido mint (1668-1683) and the Ginza mint, but the only indications of their existences today are easily missable monuments. The Currency Museum adjacent to the Bank of Japan's headquarters is probably the only numismatic museum in Japan, too. There could be more, though, I'm not sure.


(The Kameido Zeniza monument.)


(A street tile in Kameido.)

Outside the metropolis, I visited the Wado ruins in Chichibu some time ago, where high-purity copper (nigi-akagane) was mined in the 8th century and the first official coinage in Japanese history -- the famous Wadōkaichin -- was minted. Like Kameido, the site is commemorated by a cash-shaped monument, and the site of ancient surface mining (roten-bori) has been preserved. Nearby, there's also a Shinto shrine (Hijiri Shrine) where the nigi-akagane was first discovered.


(The monument at the Wado ruins.)


(Even the ema boards are cash-shaped at Hijiri Shrine!)

According to folklore, if one washes their coin in the stream flowing near the Wado ruins and offer it at Hijiri Shrine as saisen, they receive good luck monetarily. Similar beliefs (called zeniarai) can be found all across Japan, including the popular Zeniarai Benten Ugafuku Shrine in Kamakura.

Anyway, does anyone know any place like that? Any coin-y public art, or preserved remains of ancient mints, or must-visit numismatic collections that you know of?

Google doc

On the right in red under Geo Tag location you can find a couple more monuments of old Japanese mints.

Huh...that’s interesting. I don’t think anything remains today to commemorate it, but had no idea Torigoe/Asakusa and Oshiage had mints back in those days! They’re right near where I live, within less than 20 minutes. (Not surprising, though, considering this area is the centre of Tokyo’s shitamachi.)

I have visited the Osaka mint and thei Numismatic museum so there is at least that one as well.
one place I really have enjoyed visiting was the mi t at Hall in Tirol Austria

Here's a post on coin monuments around the world:
https://en.numista.com/forum/topic67158.html

Go to Potosí (Bolivia)

most of the world silver coins from 1600-1800 came from there.

for some people the silver from potosi started modern capitalism.....

and I my (humble) opinion it's not far from the truth...….

Thank you! I've forgotten about the Osaka mint -- its Saitama branch might have something, too, I'm not sure.

As for the coin monuments...interesting to know there are so many, and hopefully more.

Potosí is in my bucket list of places to visit but I'm rather unsure since it seems a little expensive to visit there? So I might end up going to Bogota, Lima, and/or some cities in Mexico, like Zacatecas, instead. And Lydia and Jáchymov/Joachimsthal are just no less important in numismatic history, I think?

I have visited Athens numismatic museum and it has a very nice collection. Also very rare items. The building is unbelievable and you can drink a coffee in their garden in the middle of the city.

Citeer: "ZaxariasP"​I have visited Athens numismatic museum and it has a very nice collection. Also very rare items. The building is unbelievable and you can drink a coffee in their garden in the middle of the city.

​I can recommend also the Numismatic Museum in Athen, very nice collection and informative exhibition. I had been there two years ago with my wife.

I visited the the British museum and the museum in Athen (I didn't intend to visit Athens but a storm on the island of Santorini forced my plane to land in Athens), and ... it's really a great city that worths the trip

The Nickel Arts Museum in Calgary, Alberta has a good collection of ancients. They just had a show on Islamic coins. It is part of the University of Calgary. Royal Canadian Mint in Ottawa has a beautiful collection too. The mint has tours too, both Ottawa and the Winnipeg mints but not right now.
The big nickel in Sudbury is fun but I would not make a special trip just for it but if you were travelling from Ottawa to Winnipeg it would be a worthwhile stop. It has a very entertaining origin story.
If you made Calgary you would have to visit Lake Moraine the image on the back of the 1979 20 dollar note. Or mile 996 on the Alaska highway the image on 1954 5 dollar note, or Mount Burgess on the 1954 10 dollar note a very important place for fossils.
That is a few for your bucket list.

Found another coin-shaped monument! Much older than the ones mentioned and possibly more interesting, the Zenigata Sunae in Kan-onji City, Japan, is a massive sandpainting depicting the Kan'ei Tsūhō coin. And I think the Biatec coin monument in Bratislava is fascinating, too. The original Biatec, obscure Celtic hexadrachm of the Boii tribe, seems to be adopted by the National Bank of Slovakia for its logo...and was also depicted on a 5 koruna coin from 1993 to 2008.