Coin Cabinet, Dresden State Art Collections

Whether it is the medal struck to celebrate the birth of August the Strong’s sole legitimate heir, or the splendid silver and gold medals presented by kings to worthy personages after victories in military conflicts, or coins from ancient times that were used for trading purposes: every coin, every medal, every historical bond is associated with some aspect of world and cultural history and thus bears testimony to a particular epoch or event. The broad spectrum of the Münzkabinett (Coin Cabinet) extends from classical antiquity to the present day. Its holdings comprise nearly 300,000 objects, making it one of the largest universal collections in Europe. Furthermore, the 30,000 Saxon coins and medals represent important periods in the history of Saxony. As well as coins and medals, the collection also comprises orders and insignia, bank notes and historic bonds, models, seals, minting dies for coins and medals, as well as minting machines and equipment. Interested visitors can study the subject in depth in the specialist library containing 30,000 volumes, or they can work in the study hall and gain fascinating insights into the history of coins, currency and artistic design. The Münzkabinett (Coin Cabinet) is presenting special exhibitions of items from among its holdings in the Hausmannsturm of the Residenzschloss (Royal Palace), which is open in the summer months. The Münzkabinett (Coin Cabinet) is part of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections) that are among the most prominent museums in the world. The combined holdings of the twelve museums offer the visitor a remarkable thematic diversity. These museums originated from the collections of the Saxon electors and Polish kings. They systematically developed cabinets of curiosities, which were accessible to select circles in their day and still form the core of the wonderful art treasures of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden today. The collections are situated in world famous buildings such as the Residenzschloss (Royal Palace), the Zwinger, and the Semperbau (Semper Building), which are among the most important sights in Dresden.