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THE NATIONAL BANK OF BELGIUM MUSEUMMax Hensley submitted this report on his recent visit to the National Bank of Belgium Museum. Thanks! -Editor We spent 10 days in the Netherlands and Belgium and found some interesting numismatic museums. The first was the World of Money at the National Bank of Belgium. The NBB Museum is located in Brussels at 57 Rue Montagne aux Herbes Potageres/Warmoesberg. It's an innocuous building in the city center and should not be confused with the gigantic National Bank of Belgium a few blocks away, which for the public is merely a bank branch. I think the NBB is essentially their national central bank to the extent it has any powers after the EU gets done with things.. Notwithstanding, they have a fine newly-remodeled money museum. There is a pedantic air about it, including cartoon graphics visible to children explaining various facts about money. They start out with odd-and-curious money and then move forward from ancient to modern times. An unusual display is the original artwork for Belgian currency, of course all antiques post-Euro. It's free, open M - F 9 - 5. explanatory legends in Flemish, French and English. website http://www.nbbmuseum.be The Belgians are crazy for chocolate in any form, a fetish I share. Chocolate and coins! What else is there? I'm working on The E-Sylum and munching some chocolate chips as I write this Sunday morning, so I wholeheartedly agree. I swiped them from the bag in the kitchen where my son had sprinkled some on his waffle. I'm 100% bought in to the studies by scientists funded by the wine and chocolate industries that this stuff is Good For You. Anyway, here are Max's pictures. -Editor  
Museum exterior; a typical exhibit case
 
LEFT: South Pacific currency made from bird feathers RIGHT: Native American in Canada with copper sheet money
 
Coins of Syracuse and Cleopatra
 
Gold coins
 
LEFT: Money changers desk RIGHT: "Money changer and spouse, with example of cartoon legend
Printing Belgian bank notes
Original artwork for Belgian 100 franc note To view the complete photo gallery on Flickr, see:
Wayne Homren, Editor The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org. To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All Rights Reserved. NBS Home Page Contact the NBS webmaster 
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