Absa Money Museum, Johannesburg

The Absa Money Museum, situated in downtown Johannesburg on Troye Street, is home to the world's largest collection of historical currency used in South Africa. This museum is unique in the country as it focuses on the history of banking and money. It offers an intriguing insight into how economic, political, and social changes have had a profound impact on currency.

The Absa Money Museum's historical records date back to the early days of Johannesburg. The exhibits showcase various forms of money, ranging from ancient forms like cowrie shells and Venetian glass beads to gold coins recovered from sunken ships. The core theme of the museum revolves around numismatics, which is the scientific study of money and its history. Visitors can also learn about bank-related crimes, ATM usage, and the concept of saving while exploring the museum's extensive collection of over 600 money boxes.

Additionally, the museum delves into the in-depth history of Absa, the banking giant, allowing visitors to trace the evolution of both Absa and the monetary system in South Africa.

While we commonly associate money with coins, banknotes, credit cards, and cheques, it's worth noting that in the past, people engaged in trade using commodity money such as salt, seashells, metals, and livestock. Interestingly, these proto-money forms shared similar characteristics with contemporary currency—they were scarce and difficult to counterfeit.