The numismatic collection of the Bucharest Municipality Museum encompasses around 38 000 coins and bills, generally originating from archaeological sites set in place over the years by collectives of the Museum’s specialists, as well as various accidental finds. A significant part of the collection was formed following generous donations from the first half of the 20th century, as is the case of several batches of coins donated to the Museum by Dr. George Severeanu, the institution’s first Director. Another part of the collection was formed through the purchases made by the Museum.
The Numismatic collection (one of the most significant collections of its kind found in Romanian museums), administered and valued by the Numismatic and Para-numismatic Cabinet of the Bucharest Municipality Museum, contains monetary issues from almost all historical periods, starting with Greek, Dacian, Roman and Byzantine coins, then issues from the Middle Ages, produced in Wallachia and Moldavia, as well as other medieval coins belonging to several European states, and ending at modern and contemporary pieces.
Several well-known hoards uncovered in Bucharest and its surroundings are worth mentioning, as they constitute important historical sources, useful in solving different problems concerning monetary circulation in Wallachia and other places. It is the case of the treasures found at Gâşteşti (Giurgiu County), Gratia (Teleorman County), Colţea, Plevna Avenue, Sala Palatului, Cărămidarii de Jos, The Old Princely Court, N. Tonizta Street (Bucharest).
