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Shining Bright: Treasures of the Numismatics Collection at Museums Victoria

Museums Victoria's numismatics collection is the most important of its kind in Australia, and the collection of Australian coins is the most significant in the world. This display of famous Australian coins, brilliant ancient coins, and beautiful French art medals includes some of the stunning treasures in the collection. Now on show at Melbourne Museum.

Shining Bright: Treasures of the Numismatics Collection

Shining Bright: Treasures of the Numismatics Collection Numismatics - the collection and study of coins, tokens and medals - was amongst the earliest public collections in Victoria and part of the 1861 Victorian Exhibition on William Street, Melbourne. The numismatics collection was ...

Power & Wealth - Treasures of the Ancient Coin Collection

Power & Wealth - Treasures of the Ancient Coin Collection The ancient Greek and Roman empires stretched far across the Mediterranean and beyond. Borrowing the idea of coins from Asia Minor, they used coins to promote their rulers, achievements, and the gods that protected them. The coins ...

Famous Australian Coins - Treasures of the Australian Coin Collection

Famous Australian Coins - Treasures of the Australian Coin Collection Being on an island far away from their known world of Europe, Australia's early European colonists had to make do with the coins they brought with them. Occasionally they imported foreign coins to expand the circulation. Later, ...

Medals As Art - Treasures of the French Art Medals Collection

Medals As Art - Treasures of the French Art Medals Collection Bronze medals and plaques minted in France and Belgium in the late 19th and early 20th centuries show artistic expression while not necessarily commemorating military or sporting achievements. More than shiny discs of metal, they ...

Explore our collection

Explore a wealth of collections and research about natural sciences, history, technology and First Peoples from Museums Victoria in Australia.

Closeup of old typewritter keys

Articles 2,384 Read about people, places, events, and our collections

Brass pocket compass sundial

Items 114,456 Things made and used by people

Closeup shot of a butterfly

Specimens 1,300,490 Animals, fossils, and rocks in our collections

Closeup of blue coloured bird

Species 1,540 Read about some animals you might see in the wild

Explore the collection on display

Closeup of a taxidermied owl

Melbourne Museum

Closeup of a robot

Illustrated impression of a ship on water

Immigration Museum

Moving sculpture lit up by stage lights

Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre

Recently modified

Engine - A.G.M. Michell, Crankless Engines (Aust.) Pty Ltd, 8-Cylinder, Melbourne, Victoria, 1923

ST 34905 Engine - A.G.M. Michell, Crankless Engines (Aust.) Pty Ltd, 8-Cylinder, Melbourne, Victoria, 1923

Engineering, Transport

Prototype crankless automotive engine built by Crankless Engines (Aust) Pty Ltd, of Greeves Street, Fitzroy, Victoria, in 1923, allocated as Machine No.12. The design was based on the principles outlined in ...

Brooch - Gold Nugget 15ct, Harris & Sprunt, Melbourne, Victoria, circa 1914

HT 61981 Brooch - Gold Nugget 15ct, Harris & Sprunt, Melbourne, Victoria, circa 1914

Clothing & Textiles, Home & Community, Engineering, Working Life & Trades

Gold and quartz specimen mounted on a 15ct gold bar brooch, made in Melbourne by Harris & Sprunt, circa 1914. From around 1854, jewellers in goldfield ...

Brooch - Gold Nugget 9ct, Aronson & Co, Melbourne, Victoria, circa 1900

HT 61980 Brooch - Gold Nugget 9ct, Aronson & Co, Melbourne, Victoria, circa 1900

Clothing & Textiles, Home & Community, Engineering, Working Life & Trades

Gold brooch, featuring a small natural nugget, made by Melbourne jeweller Aronson & Co circa 1900. From around 1854, jewellers in goldfield towns such as ...

Ring - Wedding Band made from Florin, Melbourne, Victoria, circa 1937

HT 62223 Ring - Wedding Band made from Florin, Melbourne, Victoria, circa 1937

Clothing & Textiles, Home & Community, Engineering, Working Life & Trades

Wedding band made from a Florin Coin, minted during the reign of Kind GeorgeVI (1936-1952), likley made into a ring circa 1937 during the Great Depression. ...

Token - 1 Ounce, Cast, Kangaroo Office, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1853 (1957 Copy)

NU 33690 Token - 1 Ounce, Cast, Kangaroo Office, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1853 (1957 Copy)

Numismatics & Philately, Working Life & Trades

Gilt, 1 Ounce Cast, created in Melbourne, in 1957. It is a copy of the 1 ounce gold coin created for the Kangaroo Office in 1853 by W. J. Taylor of London. W. J. Taylor and his ...

Coin - Aureus, Julius Caesar, Ancient Roman Republic, 46 BC

NU 16449 Coin - Aureus, Julius Caesar, Ancient Roman Republic, 46 BC

Numismatics & Philately

Aureus issued by the Ancient Roman Republic, 44 BC. Issuing authority was Julius Caesar, the moneyer was A. HIRTIVS (A. Hirtius). It was struck at the Rome mint.The head on the obverse may represent Vesta. ...

Coin - Gold Stater, King Alexander III (the Great), Ancient Macedonia, Ancient Greek States, 336-323 BCE

NU 2351 Coin - Gold Stater, King Alexander III (the Great), Ancient Macedonia, Ancient Greek States, 336-323 BCE

Numismatics & Philately

A gold stater coin issued by King Alexander III (the Great) of Macedonia in the period 336-323 BCE. Reference:Sear vol.2 p.621 no.6702. Die axis: 12.

Medal - VFL Grand Final Premiership, Western Bulldogs Football Club, Lin Jong, 2016

NU 49761 Medal - VFL Grand Final Premiership, Western Bulldogs Football Club, Lin Jong, 2016

Leisure, Migration & Cultural Diversity, Working Life & Trades, Public Life & Institutions

Premiership medal won by Lin Jong for the Victorian Football League Grand Final in 2016. Lin was born in Melbourne in 1993, his parents ...

Medal - VFL Grand Final Premiership Team, Best Player, Western Bulldogs Football Club, Lin Jong, 2016

NU 49759 Medal - VFL Grand Final Premiership Team, Best Player, Western Bulldogs Football Club, Lin Jong, 2016

Leisure, Migration & Cultural Diversity, Working Life & Trades, Public Life & Institutions

Norm Goss Memoirial medal won by Lin Jong for being best player on the ground during the Victorian Football League Grand Final in 2016. The ...

Fob - World War I, Returned From Service, Clifford Henry Nowell A.B., Victoria, 1919

NU 44560 Fob - World War I, Returned From Service, Clifford Henry Nowell A.B., Victoria, 1919

Public Life & Institutions

Alternative Name(s): Watch Chain Medallion Nine carat gold presentation fob awarded to Clifford Henry Nowell, Able Seaman (A.B.), service number 1586, of the Royal Australian Navy to commemorate his safe ...

Fob - Returned From Service, World War I, Coy. Sgt. Mjr. William Edward Green, 16 Apr 1919

NU 44561 Fob - Returned From Service, World War I, Coy. Sgt. Mjr. William Edward Green, 16 Apr 1919

Arms, Public Life & Institutions

Gold medallion fob presented to Coy. Sgt. Mjr. William Edward Green by the residents of Marong to commemorate his safe return from service in World War I on 16 April 1919. Such fobs normally had ...

Fob - World War I, Returned From Service, Corporal William Edward Green, Marong, Victoria, 1919

NU 44562 Fob - World War I, Returned From Service, Corporal William Edward Green, Marong, Victoria, 1919

Arms, Public Life & Institutions

Presentation fob awarded to Cpl. William Edward Green by the Shire of Marong to commemorate his safe return from service in World War I. Such fobs normally had the name of the town or district ...