When we just reached Bank Negara Museum on 1st of June, I don't even know we have reached as the building design of that museum is quite modern and it's doesn't look like a museum. My impression toward museum is museum should be have classic building design that give people old and historical feeling as there is always historical, cultural and old things putting and showing inside museum. The building of Bank Negara Museum is totally different with what I think as its building is like made up of glass and give people modern feeling.
We started to visit the museum after lecturers given a time to us to meet up. We visit in the Numismatic Gallery. In this gallery, we can know that how the design, inscription, symbols, dates, languages and writing form of each type and form of foreign and domestic currency, both coins and banknotes highlighted the characteristics of society's heritage, customs, economics, beliefs and religions, as well as the history of community, race and nation.
The first things we saw in that gallery is the information of barter trade, its used in trading before money is used. We experienced the barter trade through a game in the gallery and find out that it's difficult to trade without money. There is also the introduction of Tin Ingots and Tampang. The different shape of Tampang and Tin Ingots, and the mould for casting them is showed in the gallery too. There is also some introduction of early money of the Malay States, and things that related to that is showed in the gallery, like the Cowrie Shells and Small Weighing Scales. There is also the replica of Yap Stone. I'm quite interesting to the Animal Money parts. The animal money is used to prevent the sacrificed of animals happened again. Its the substitutes of the animal that made from tin. Besides that, there is also showed some early chinese money in malay states and early money of borneo.
There is a long long screen that showed a series of numismatic collection, there is a many NUI section on a long table to let you touch, and once you touch it, the description of certain numismatic will shown on screen, and the action can be repeat and repeat to let you see description on different numismatic. Different kind and type of currency notes, coupons and coins showed in the gallery too.
I'm very interesting with the series of currency notes and coins issued by Bank Negara Malaysia. There is four series of currency notes and coins have been issued by Bank Negara Malaysia. The four series have different theme of design. The first series is designed with geometric patterns. The design of second series is based on Malaysia'a rich cultural heritage. There is a series of these cultural heritage showed in the gallery. The third series is design based on Malaysia's rapid economic development and achievements with the Vision 2020 theme. The fourth series is designed using the theme of Distinctively Malaysia. There is a list that describe the fourth series of Malaysian Banknotes, like listing the aspects used in different values of banknotes.
Numismatics Gallery..
Barter Trade..
Tin Ingots..
Early money of Malay States..
Replica of Yap Stone..
Animal Money..
Early Chinese Money in the Malay States..
Early Money of Borneo..
Screen to show Numismatic Collection..
Collection of Currency Notes, Coupons and Coins..
4 series of Currency Notes and Coins issued by Bank Negara Malaysia..
After I visited the museum, I think the museum is very different from other museum. This museum present the information to us in an attractive way by using many NUI technology. I will share some information from the museum to my friends like the design of different series of Currency Notes and Coins issued by Bank Negara Malaysia, because I think this kind of facts is more interesting to us as its more near to us rather than the history of money.
I would like to have further research on the early money in malay states, like animal money and tampang, and the study of Malaysian Currency after I visited the museum. How animal money substitute the animal? How early money improve efficiency in trading? Why Bank Negara Malaysia choose those theme as the design aspects of Malaysian Currency?
