A "museum of currency" that has been under construction forever just blocks from our apartment, was finally completed and opened to the public. We've been watching its progress since we got here but didn't think it would be finished before we left Angola, especially in light of the current financial/currency crisis (the ironies here are cruel). There are a few other museums here, but they are not nearly as nice as this one -- the quality was almost first world. And a lot of the construction materials inside came from Angola (e.g., wood floors and granite). It was built underground, and here is a view from on top and then from the bottom up. My guess is that the old coins/notes have to be maintained at a certain temperature, and it's easier and cheaper to maintain that temperature underground.
We had an Angolan guide that spoke English pretty well, so Briant didn't have to translate. He did very well and was friendly, so I wanted to compliment him on his English. We really appreciated his help!
The museum had a small-scale replica of the Bank of Angola (in reality across the street) and a few rooms that are found in the bank. Most of the furniture was original furniture from the 1950's when the bank was built, and they showed in videos how they refinished them.
The museum has coins and bills dating back to the 1500's. They were organized in different cases, showing the different currency series and changes from one period of history to another. The changes in designs and colors were prompted by changes in leadership, the country's independence from Portugal, and other political/war conditions in Angola. It was all very fascinating, and our guide gave us a great history lesson during our tour.
We were also able to touch a gold bar, which only Briant was able to actually lift up an inch or so off the platform because of its weight and the awkward handling angle. We also had fun putting together a large magnetic wall puzzle of an Angolan 5,000 kwanza bill (currently the largest currency note, worth a little less than USD$10 on the street right now).
There aren't a whole lot of places to take "field trips" here in Luanda and it's not safe these days to just walk around, so we particularly enjoyed the chance to get out of the house and see something new, clean, and educational!
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