The Bank of Canada Museum – formerly known as the Currency Museum – has re-opened its doors after a four-year closure and a “complete re-imagining.” Aside from containing artifacts from the National Currency Collection, the two museums are “really quite different,” according to Paul Berry, the museum’s chief curator. “The Bank of Canada Museum is focused upon delivering messages about the economy and the Bank of Canada whereas the Currency Museum looked more at currency and its evolution both within and outside Canada,” said Berry, who added the new museum has “twice the floor space but about one quarter of the artifacts on display.” Despite fewer artifacts, the redesigned museum and its new focus has allowed the bank to showcase a greater variety of material from the National Currency Collection. “Stock certificates, payment cards and savings banks help tell the story about production, consumption and one’s personal involvement in the economy; subjects that weren’t formerly addressed,” said Berry. “The new museum is interactive, more flexible with respect to our ability to change displays and information, and much more modern in appearance.” Continue reading →
Among the 1,400 artifacts displayed at the newly reopened Bank of Canada Museum (formerly the Currency Museum) is every banknote series issued by the Bank of Canada since the first in 1935.
