ANA museum wins award for ‘History of Money’ exhibit

The American Numismatic Association’s Edward C. Rochette Money Museum, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, was the recipient of the Mountain Plains Museum Association’s 2023 Award for Museum Technology.

The MPMA Technology Competition recognizes museums for innovative and effective use of technology to serve the needs of their audience. This is a juried competition with a minimum of three judges selected from among museum and media professionals with expertise in media and technology programming, production and content development.

The Money Museum was selected to receive the award for its History of Money exhibit 360 Virtual Tour, created by the team of ANA Museum Curator Douglas Mudd, ANA Creative Services Manager Ben Scott, ANA Photography Director Rob Kelley, and ANA Digital Content Director Pete Gentzler. The award was presented on Sept. 29 at the MPMA’s annual conference, held this year in Corpus Christi.

The History of Money exhibit 360 Virtual Tour displays how money has evolved over the last 10,000 years — from the earliest forms of money to present day. Anyone with access to the internet can access this exhibit by visiting money.org/hom-vrtour/.

The exhibit explains: “The earliest forms of money were used to create a system of value so that people could compare items they wanted to exchange. This system of value was used for more than just buying or selling things — it became a marker of status, a characteristic that money still has today.”

The exhibit adds: “Eventually, someone came up with the idea of using precious metals (gold and silver or their alloys) as money. Beginning in Mesopotamia and Egypt around 4,500 years ago, gold and silver began to be traded in the form of metal bars or bits of wire. The next big step occurred when little round lumps of electrum (a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver) began to be issued to a standard set of weights and marked by the issuer. These became the first coins.

“Paper currency was the next major step in the evolution of money. Appearing some time during the 8th century in China, paper money has become the most common form of currency in use today. The possible exception to this is the latest innovation in currency: electronic money.”

The exhibit explores the first coins and paper money, the use of traditional money and includes the following sections:
➤ History of Money Virtual Exhibit
➤ History of Money 360° VR Tour
➤ Ancients: The World’s First Coins
➤ Traditional: Money Comes in All Forms
➤ Medieval: Aftermath of Rome’s Fall
➤ Modern: Rise of the Press
➤ Paper Money: A Convenient Medium
➤ Alternative: Money in a Pinch
➤ U.S. Paper Money: Economic Expansion

The Money Museum is operated by the nonprofit American Numismatic Association, which is dedicated to encouraging the study and collection of coins and related items.

The ANA helps its members and the public discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of educational programs including its museum, library, publications, conventions and webinars. For more information, call (719) 632-2646 or visit money.org.

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