Money in the West of the Iberian Peninsula

Money, as we know it today, is a relatively recent “invention”. However, throughout the ages man has found different ways of making transactions easier.

In prehistory, the subsistence of human societies was based on hunting and gathering, which later developed into the production and exchange of the goods man consumed. Over time, a system of barter emerged, which was based on objects with recognised value: pre-monetary currency. Coins, with the characteristics that define them today, appeared in the West, around 700 BC, in the kingdom of Lydia.

During the same period, another form of money was used in China, made of bronze and taking the shape of cowry shells or miniature utensils.
 
Receipts issued by Chinese merchants over a thousand years ago are considered to be the first form of paper money. In the 14th century the Chinese government was already issuing “notes”.

In Europe, the first banknotes were issued by the Bank of Stockholm in 1661. In Mainland Portugal, the first banknotes were put into circulation in 1822.

This exhibition displays “money” in its different forms, to reflect the historical, social, economic and artistic evolution, which characterised the Portuguese society and the people who inhabited Western Iberia before the founding of Portugal.

Given that money is a historical document, rich in iconographic, economic and financial information, the exhibition also sets out to enhance these aspects, with particular emphasis on the evolution of the national coat of arms.