The history of the Paper Money Museum dates formally from 1981, when the minutes of the Board Meeting recorded the unanimous decision to approve the administrator Dr Alberto Correia de Almeida's suggestion to create a collection of paper currency for the Foundation.
The idea behind this suggestion was that every cultural institution should always have a characteristic nucleus, in addition to its identity.
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There was still little interest in the theme of paper currency in Portugal, though abroad, and particularly in the USA and England, it was already the focus of great attention. An example would be that of the Amon Collection: the part relative to the USA was bought by the American government, which realised its value as national heritage. In England, the fact that a market existed led to several auctions at the famous auctioneer house, Christie's. This all happened in the nineteen-seventies.
In Portugal neither private collectors nor the Central Issuing Bank showed any great interest.
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Our administrator's proposal therefore seemed innovative and could well serve as the nucleus that would distinguish the FACM within the panorama of Foundations and Museums in Portugal and in Europe. Needless to say, it would also be a great asset at the level of preservation and conservation of paper currency as a symbol of our country's heritage and identity.
The Foundation was going through troubled times, with financial restructuring necessary after the devastating effects of the 1974 Revolution and the consequent nationalisation of the banks.
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The few reservations put forward by the Board of Directors, which was deeply concerned with the inevitable need to reconstruct a solid financial base and a suitable centre, were answered by Dr Alberto Correia de Almeida's unshakeable conviction that financial restructuring was just as important as the decision to start outlining a strategy that would distinguish the Foundation. And this is exactly what happened.
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From then on, with great persistence and constant searching in Portugal and abroad, Dr Alberto Correia de Almeida was able to gather a remarkable and unique collection. |
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Building began on the Paper Money Museum’s installations in 1994 and the Museum was inaugurated in January 1996 by Dr Mário Soares, President of the Portuguese Republic at that time. Behind this is a long history involving research, collecting, love and persistence that continues to gather the best currency documents to be found, in the best condition, and constantly improve the collections on show. Since 1996, the Museum has evolved greatly both in terms of acquisitions (which continue to be made on the Portuguese market and abroad, especially in Europe) and in the way it communicates with the public. |
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In 2003, the Museum inaugurated a new permanent exhibition room, which demonstrates the relationship between money and transport through a notable collection of car miniatures.
Its role as an agent of educational and social change is high on the list of Museum priorities.
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The Museum is particularly renowned for knowing how to put its collections at the service of the community: it has created an Education Service comprising a team of qualified professionals for whom education and communication with different publics are a daily practice and concern. The Museum is well aware of its potential and responsibility to intervene socially at various levels, taking care to provide programmes regularly for all publics: schools, families, seniors, and people with special needs. |
The museum is part of GAM – Group for Access to Museums, and concerns itself with being open to the entire community, seeking partnerships with public and private entities, focusing the programme according to the expectations of the publics that it welcomes and trying to get to know new publics better. In fact, the Museum has chosen the educational and social areas as its strategic areas of intervention.
