Visit to the Numismatic Museum

of Athens

On Wednesday, April 13we visited the Numismatic Museum of Athens

The Numismatic Museum is one of the oldest public museums

and probably the most important one in Greece.

It also ranks among the five greatest museums

of its kind in the world.

It was established in 1834 and today houses one of the greatest

collections of coins, ancient and modern, in the world.

The museum itself is housed in the mansion of the archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, formally known as Iliou

Melathron

At the time of its completion, it was considered to be the most

magnificent private residence of Athens

The love for Antiquity, prevalent at the time in Europe

and the recent foundation of the Modern Greek state

had created the conditions of protecting the national cultural heritage.

Hence, from the beginning, the history of the Museum

was directly related with that of the Modern Greek state,

the social circumstances and the cultural directives of each age.

However, a decisive role in its progress was played

by the personalities

of those who directed it.

The Numismatic Museum owns 500.000 acquisitions –mostly coins as well as medals, lead

bullae, gems - dated from the 14th century BC until today.

In 1867, the Numismatic Museum

of Athens was officially defined by law

as an annex to the National Library