The National Numismatic Collection of the Smithsonian Institution is one of the largest numismatic collections in the world and the largest in North America. Located in the National Museum of American History, the collection includes approximately 1.6 million objects. There are more than 450,000 coins, medals and decorations and 1.1 million pieces of paper money ( including the recently acquired “Confederate Treasury horde” of cancelled Confederate paper money ), highlighting the entire numismatic history of the world.

The collection contains many great rarities in coins and currency, from the earliest coins created 2,700 years ago up to the latest innovations in electronic monetary exchange, as well as objects such as beads, wampum, dentalia and other commodities once used as money.

The collection emphasizes the development of money and medals in the United States. The core of the U.S. collection, consisting of more than 18,000 items, including coins of great rarity, came to the Smithsonian in 1923 from the United States Mint. Among exceptional rarities in this section are the Brasher half doubloon, the 1849 double eagle ( first of the gold $20 pieces ), and two 1877 $50 patterns. Other rarities are the very popular and rare 1913 Liberty head nickel as well as all three types of the 1804 dollar, and two of three known examples of the world’s most valuable coin, the 1933 double eagle, the third of which recently sold for $7.6 million.

Among recent donations are the unprecedented Josiah K. Lilly holdings, consisting of 6,150 gold coins including an almost complete U.S. gold coin collection, a rich Latin American gold section, and many of the great rarities of European gold coins such as a 20 excelentes de la Granada of Ferdinand and Isabella, and two large and heavy 100 ducats of Austria and Poland.

Another outstanding donation is the Willis H. du Pont collection of more than 12,000 Russian coins in all metals, including platinum, from the Grand Duke Georgii Mikhailovich estate.

The ancient Greek section has grown through many small donations, notably that of Captain B. Bennett, to almost 19,000 coins. The recent donation of the “Demareteion” decadrachm of Syracuse and four related masterpieces of early Greek numismatic art by John Whitney Walter has enhanced the importance of the ancient Greek collection. Also of great importance is the large collection of paper money donated by Mortimer Neinken, and the group of checks with presidential signatures from the Chase Manhattan Bank collection.