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Related Events Theme: Money

Date Range Last 3 Months 3-6 Months Over 6 Months

Theme 18th Century 19th Century 20th Century 21st Century Banking Corporate History Crashes and Panics Economics Entrepreneurship Financial Markets International Money Wall Street History

 

Current Archive Credit Crisis

Exhibit Floor Plan (PDF- 252.08 K)

The everyday ordinariness of the money we carry masks a rich and tumultuous history. Ever since the Dutch settled Manhattan, currency in America has continually evolved. Our responses to the threats of war, crime and economic crisis have shaped money's design and even altered its value. Over time, the emergence of the dollar as a stable, universally recognized currency made the U.S. a global economic powerhouse, and indeed helped to unify the country itself.

This exhibit traces our country's currency from the earliest years through the latest designs and features barter currencies, gold, coins, paper money and scrip. A tactile money display allows visitors to touch historic and modern coins, and to view the security features in modern money on a light board and under an ultraviolet light. A large-scale touch screen interactive enables visitors to view the many hidden anti-counterfeiting devices incorporated into the newly-redesigned $10 bill.