For around two-and-a-half thousand years, gold coins were an important part of the monetary systems of nearly all states, and gold continues to play an important role as a reserve asset to this today.

Weighing in at 3,374 tonnes, Germany’s gold reserves are the second largest worldwide, after those of the United States. The Bundesbank is responsible for managing these treasures, and this special exhibition is the first time a selection of the most remarkable gold bars will be put on display to the general public. Among them is one of the oldest bars held as part of Germany's reserve assets, which was cast in 1917 and delivered to the Bundesbank’s predecessor – the Bank deutscher Länder – by the Federal Reserve Bank in 1956. A combination of exhibits and extensive information materials invites visitors to learn how monetary and foreign exchange policy have evolved over time.

The numismatic part of the exhibition is centred around a range of particularly important and long-lived historical gold coins from the Bundesbank’s very own numismatic collection. One highlight for visitors is the longest-lived coin in the world – the ducat – which was introduced in 1284 and is still being minted to this day. Coins such as these did much to shape the international world of payments in their day and played a prominent role in monetary and foreign exchange policy. In many cases, they influenced coin minting in other countries.

On the occasion of the special exhibition on April 11, 2018, there will be an international symposium on the subject of gold at the Money Museum. Interested parties are invited to participate. Further information can be found here.