Stamp & Coin Museum

From The entry in the throne, H.S.H. Prince Rainier III, who defined the timbre as "the first ambassador of a country", was interested in philately:

He chooses subjects, on proposal of the Director of the Stamp Issuing Office, initials or signs drawings and proofs of colours of every stamp,
He decided to create a "Postal Museum ", in 1950 , within the Palace and confided to the Director of the O.E.T.P., who is nominated for the conservation and the classification of philatelic Collection constituted by His predecessors, Albert Ier and Louis II,
He created the Advisory Commission of the philatelic Collection, in 1987, in charge of classifying updating and increasing the patrimony which constitutes all documents connected to postage stamps, including varieties. This Collection, deprived, becomes Well Crown in 1997, and the Commission adds the numismatics in its naming in 2001,
He wished the construction of a Stamps and coins Museum, on the Terraces of Fontvieille gained on the sea, which is opened to the public in 1996 and which presents Its philatelic and numismatic Collections, very complete and among the most renowned.

The currencies are presented as well, since the first one which carried mention "Prince of Monaco" and asserts Monegasque sovereign power, in 1640, currencies for the business with the East, specific banknotes in 1920 and currencies of necessity for lack of sufficient metal after the First War, the golden coins under Charles III, until Francs and Euro of the present Administration.

Some attempts and pieforts were struck, as well as series "Fleurs de Coins" from 1974, arousing certain interest for Monegasque "Franc". The institution of the Euro provokes a strong demand, in particular from Germany and Italy, and even a speculation; the drawing right (1/500-th of France) is insufficient with regard to the novelty but Principality pursues a wise traditional policy with circulation coins and products more specifically intended for the Collection (B.E. B.U. silver and gold coins).

The Museum is composed of two showrooms :

the main room presents the complete chronology of currencies, since 1641, and Monegasque stamps, since 1885, as well as temporary thematic exhibitions; the public can discover plasters used in the process of striking of currencies, the awls and all the documents which participate to the issuing of stamps, and to admire a machine copperplate engraving which printed the stamps of Monaco during more than 60 years; a broadcasting zone allows to discover a film of presentation of the philatelic history, of the manufacture and of marketing of stamps and an encyclopaedic computer border concerning monegasque philately and numismatic,
the room of the rare stamps, the real case, shelters préphilatelic documents, Sardinian and French stamps used in Principality ("precursors") and the first Monegasque stamps of the administrations of Charles III and Louis II ("classics") ; it is in this safe that were presented to the public the seven Exhibitions of "100 stamps and philatelic documents among the rarest of the world", in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2009.
Past major International Philatelic Exhibition, "MonacoPhil 2011" has been organized on 2 to 4 December 2011, with world Rarities and 60 booths of postal Administrations and international stamp dealers.

The Museum is also a sales department and proposes to its counter stamps and coins of Monaco, as well as paraphilatelic products (books, enamels, scarfs). A service of mail-order selling was set up, from the Museum catalog.