Monnaie De Paris An In Person Report

I've visited the museum several times, and it is a real treat. Circulating coin production has been moved out to Pessac (about the time the British moved theirs to Llantrisant), but there are still some minting and related activities in the building. The collections of dies, punches, and other minting tools on exhibit are worth the (quite modest) price of admission in my mind, not to speak of the coins and medals themselves. The first exhibit as you go through the museum is one of metals used in coinage, copper, silver, and gold of course, but also iron, zinc, aluminium. the display case for platinum has one each of the old standard kilograms and meters! Out in the courtyard is also one of the gnomons used for measuring the meridian of Paris.

They also have temporary exhibitions. One time it was of Olympic medals and memorabilia, including a participant medal from the 1940 Games, which were never held owing to the outbreak of war. Another time it was of coin-operated amusements from the second half of the XX century, pinball games, juke boxes, video arcades, and so on. Of course, being the Mint, they had made their own tokens for the machines. Each visitor got a cupful at the entrance, and there was a place near the exit to leave unused ones, but did I? You bet your sweet bippy I took them home with me!