EyeOpener Gallery Tours: The World of Money at The British Museum

The history of money can be traced back over four thousand years. During this time, currency has taken many different forms, ranging from shells in ancient China to massive stone discs on the Island of Yap in the western Pacific. Room 68 will demonstrate the development of money across the world through a range of objects and examine how money has been used by diverse cultural groups. Objects will illustrate the importance of money to past individuals, cultures, nations, and empires, while also exploring how our use of coins and paper money today continues to be transformed by the advent of plastic cards and digital banking.