Numismatic Museum.

The Numismatics Museum reopens its doors after an exciting renovation process, which included the updating of contents, a new museum design, and the incorporation of innovative interactive resources. This space invites visitors to embark on a chronological journey through the history of Costa Rica, from the use of alternative means of payment such as cacao, chaquiras and coffee tickets, to the traditional banknotes and coins.

A journey through history

The museum is organized into seven main themes that tell the story of how Costa Ricans have used various means of payment over time:

  • Cocoa as official currency in 1709.
  • The “chaquiras” in Talamanca, where five glass tabs were equivalent to one real in the seventeenth century.
  • The transition from the Spanish escudos and reales, based on an octogenal system, to the peso and finally to the colón with the arrival of the decimal system.

During the tour, visitors will also discover coins from other countries that circulated in Costa Rica, the first coin minted in the country (with an unauthorized design of a palm tree) and banknotes initially issued by private banks. They will also learn about coffee tickets, a crucial means of payment for workers in the Central Plateau at the end of the 19th century.

Interactive and educational innovation

The renovated Numismatic Museum has incorporated educational resources that combine the manual with the digital. Among the new features are:

  • Didactic videos such as “ABC of numismatics”.
  • Tactile reproductions of banknotes and coins to explore their characteristics.
  • Copies for stamping historical coin designs.
  • Testimonials about the coffee economy.
  • Illustrated infographics showing the design, manufacture and circulation of means of payment.

New temporary exhibits

As part of the renovation, four temporary themes have been included:

  1. Coin minting.
  2. Architecture in numismatics.
  3. Commemorative coins.
  4. Biodiversity in the means of payment.

These themes will change periodically to offer fresh experiences and motivate visitors to return.

Practical information

  • Hours: Monday to Sunday, 9:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • Tariffs:.
    • Regular National: ¢3.000
    • National student: ¢1.000 (present ID card)
    • Regular foreigner: ¢8.400
    • Foreign student: ¢6,300

Sensorial Sunsets