Are you hoping to take a family vacation this summer? With your interest in coins and the history behind them, you might wonder where you can plan your vacation to learn more about rare coins, see some coins in museums, or even find some new coins to add to your collection.
Learn more about some top coin-collecting destinations and activities that your whole family can enjoy.
Stateside Vacation Ideas
If your primary interest is in American coins and history, plan your vacation accordingly. You can find and see some amazing coins without leaving the country. Here are some top destinations to consider.
Washington D.C.
Get tickets for the whole family to view the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. This facility in D.C. prints notes for the federal reserve. Tickets can be hard to come by, so make sure you plan well in advance.
Among the many museums in Washington, you should also plan to visit the Smithsonian American History museum, because this museum has the coin collections that represent American heritage. Here, among other cool coins (like tokens from crossing the Missouri River), you can view the most valuable: the 1933 Double Eagle Gold Coin.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
If your vacation takes you to Philadelphia, stop and take a tour at the Philadelphia Mint. Here, you can view the press that made the earliest United States currency. You can even meet the mascot of the mint, a real bald eagle named Peter, who lives at the mint and is used as a model when designing new coins.
Rosemont, Illinois
If you’re really excited about coin collecting, you should make time in your summer schedule for the World’s Fair of Money in this Pittsburg. Here, you might be able to barter your own coins, buy new coins for your collection, or view the amazing collections of other enthusiasts. You can also attend lectures and auctions held during the event.
International Destinations
The world is literally at your feet when it comes to coin collecting on an international scale. You can find coins and history in any country you visit, but here are some highlights you might consider:
Spanish Coins in the Caribbean
The Caribbean has a rich history of piracy, and as a result, there is still plenty of Spanish silver and gold lurking beneath the waves. You can find coins for sale in shops as well. If you’re really feeling adventurous, plan a day at the beach while your scout with a metal detector just to see what you find.
British Coins
If you plan a trip to Great Britain, be sure to stop at The British Museum on Great Russell Street in London.
The British Museum has one of the world’s largest and most interesting coin collections, with around a million individual pieces. Here, you’ll be able to view Roman Republic coins and browse through an extensive catalog about Roman and Hellenistic currency, including a guide on how to recognize these coins, helping you to identify coins you might want to collect for yourself.
You’ll also be able to view some truly unique pieces, including coins from Sudan, Egypt, and Turkey. You’ll also be able to view some of the earliest known coins in history — Lydian coins. The museum also has some notable paper money examples. Some date back to 14th century China.
While you’re in town, you might also stop by the Royal Mint Museum. You can see discontinued English currency from all over the Commonwealth, and you’ll also see some special pieces in person, such as the 1933 penny, which is very rare.
European Coins
If you’re taking a trip to Europe, you might base your tour on where the most notable coin museums are. Some institutions to include in your travel itinerary include:
- Bode Museum in Berlin, Germany. This museum has about half a million coins and tokens for public viewing. It has a large historical span, with coins from the 7th century all the way up to the present.
- Cabinet des Médailles in Paris, France. What better place to view some interesting French history? At this museum, you can see the coin history of France, including coins from the French Revolution. This museum also has the largest gold coin minted in ancient times, the Gold 20-Stater of Eucratides I.
- Numismatic Museum of Athens in Greece. View amazing collections of currency from history both ancient and modern, as well as coin hoards that show several coins of a similar make and date.
- The Royal Coin Cabinet in Stockholm, Sweden. View coin collections that give insight into world economics and history. This museum also has the inflation currency that was printed during the Weimar Republic in Germany after WWI.
What could be better than a world tour of amazing coin collections? When planning your next family trip, take some time to see some of the greatest coin collections in the United States and abroad. For more collecting ideas, contact us at Rocky Mountain Coin.
