Numismatics

The sub-collection lies within the oldest and largest collection funds in our museum. The collection started in 1877 and from the very beginning it aimed at the coins minted in the Kutná Hora’s royal mint at the Italian Court (1300 to 1726). Gradually, it was extended through plentiful donations of both contemporary and historical currency (from Antiquity up to the present times), medals and saint medals. During the centralization of small museums in the second half of the 20th century, the numismatic fund was extended by the acquisition of the funds from the museums in Uhlířské Janovice, Vlastějovice and Rataje nad Sázavou. In 1980, a large delimitation of the oriental and overseas coins to the Náprstek Museum in Prague took place. Simultaneously, the idea was born to establish a regional numismatic department in Kutná Hora. All numismatic collections from the Central Bohemia’s museums were supposed to be transferred to Kutná Hora. Fortunately, only the collection from the museum in Mělník was transferred to Kutná Hora in 1981.

Currently, the sub-collection is divided into five basic groups:

• Coins (sign. M 1) – aimed at the production of the Kutná Hora’s mint, i.e. the groschen and thaler periods (1300 až 1726). However, the group comprises coins practically from all over Europe from Antiquity to the present. In the second place, a large portion is represented by the coins from the Austrian empire. The group includes more then 15,000 coins. A great scientific potential is concealed in the finds deposited here – treasures from the denar, groschen and thaler periods (a total of 3,600 pieces)
• Medals (sign. M 2) – constituted of a set of Austrian and Czechoslovakian medalcraft production of the 19th and 20th centuries. (over 1,200 pieces). However, we can also find here some very valuable medals struck earlier, e.g. the medal of Franz I. of Lorraine and Maria Theresa and their children from 1759.
• Saint medals (sign. M 3) – are sacred medals struck by the church (cca 80 pieces). These small medals were predominantly produced for pilgrimage purposes. (they were struck for example near the significant pilgrimage churches). Another type was issued by various religious institutions (monasteries, congregations, etc.). These saint medals depicted biblical figures, saints or included biblical quotes.
• Bank notes (sign. M 4) – includes paper means of payment again from all over Europe with the emphasis on the Austrian and Czechoslovakian bank notes. Currently, this group comprises 1,500 pieces.
• Coining dies (sign. M 5) – are the smallest group, which includes only a small number of coining dies. They are either coining dies of Kutná Hora’s coins, three of them are coining dies for the coins struck in the Italian Court.