The Coin Cabinet Revealed. Beyond Coins… Curiosities from the Coin Cabinet

From Wednesday, July 8 to Monday, September 7, 2026, the Civic Archaeological Museum continues its exhibition series The Coin Cabinet Revealed, created to introduce visitors to its remarkable numismatic collection through a series of thematic displays.

For the summer edition, the exhibition presents a selection of twenty-six rare and unusual objects which, while connected to the world of coins and medals, differ in function and characteristics, offering a unique insight into the social life and craftsmanship of past centuries.

The exhibition Beyond Coins… Curiosities from the Coin Cabinet aims to showcase the richness, diversity and multifaceted nature of the collection.

Highlights include mother-of-pearl gaming counters produced between the 18th and 19th centuries by skilled Chinese artisans and commissioned by the European aristocracy for use during fashionable gaming evenings, alongside unusual "wooden medals" used for leisure by the wealthier social classes. These are playing pieces for tric-trac (the predecessor of backgammon), resembling medals in appearance but produced by pressing wooden discs with specialised machinery, a technique for which the workshops of Nuremberg, Germany, became renowned.

Also on display are a necklace and a pair of earrings, probably created in the 20th century using highly accurate replicas of ancient Greek and Roman coins, as well as a selection of glass tokens produced in Fatimid Egypt between the 10th and 12th centuries AD.