Chatelaine, coin holder and money box – new acquisitions in the NBP Money Centre

The NBP Money Centre collects various artefacts related to the history of money. In the Antiquity-Middle Ages-Modernity room we present, among others, exhibits which combine applied arts with numismatics. Recently our collection of vessels and decorative items has been enhanced by the following items:

Chatelaine – an ornamental set of accessories attached to the waist of a gown, usually made up of a few silver chains joined together in a row. Various useful or decorative appendages were attached to the ends of the chains, e.g. a set of iron watch keys. The accessory set in our collection is additionally decorated with a plate with an alpine cow engraved on it and five European silver coins – four Swiss and one Bavarian. The item was most probably made in Switzerland in the 19th century, judging by the year notations on the coins.

Decorative coin holder – it was used to store two kinds of small coins, which were inserted or dispensed using a spring-loaded mechanism. The metal lid is decorated with an embossed Art Nouveau-style floral motif (a thistle sprig with a flower), partly gold-plated. In this case, we have no information about the origins of the item, we can only assume that it was made in a north-European workshop around the turn of the 20^th century.

Money box made from tea glass holders – it is decorated with a silver openwork filigree. It comes from 19th-century Russia, which is corroborated by four punch marks at the bottom (producer’s stamps and hallmarks). The oval-shaped lid, once locked with a padlock, has a protruding coin slot on the top. A decorative handle, with a female head at the top, is affixed to the body of the money box.

We invite you to visit the NBP Money Centre, where you can see the new exhibits listed above.

NBP Money Centre Team