Some 2,500 years ago, the kingdom of Lydia (Asia Minor) brought about the first coins, which were created out of standardized lumps of precious metals and formed the basis of a monetary system.
In the area of what is today Austria, coins came into existence in the middle of the 2nd century B.C. Starting from these early Celtic coins, money in Austria evolved from the medieval pfennigs via the magnificent thaler coins of the Habsburg dynasty and the schilling to international currencies, such as the Maria Theresia thaler and the euro.
Once Empress Maria Theresia introduced paper money some 250 years ago, banknotes became an integral part of money transactions in Austria.
Banknote designs, both implemented and unimplemented, and various printing plates provide insight into the development of banknote production since the establishment of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank in 1816. Exhibits of historical records and stocks round out the exhibition.