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{{Infobox museum
| name = Bank of England Museum
{{linkrot|date=August 2014}}▼
| logo =
| image = london.bankofengland.arp.jpg
| map_type = central London
| pushpin_map = Central London
| former_name =
| established = {{Start date and age|1988|df=yes}}
| location = [[City of London]], [[London]], {{postcode|EC|2R}}<br />[[United Kingdom]]
| type = Bank of England Museum
| visitors =
| director =
| publictransit = {{rail-interchange|london|underground}} {{rint|london|dlr}} {{lus|Bank}}
| website = [https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum/ Bank of England Museum]
}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2014}}
The '''Bank of England Museum''', located within the [[Bank of England]] in the [[City of London]], is home to a collection of diverse items relating to the history of the Bank and the UK economy from the Bank’s foundation in 1694 to the present day.
The museum is open to the public, free of charge.
==History==
With this in mind a new museum was planned, which was due to open in 1994, the year of the Bank’s tercentenary. However, a fire in 1986 caused severe damage to the area above the proposed site for the museum. It was decided to begin work on the museum then, rather than repair and rebuild at a later date. Designed by exhibition consultants [[Higgins Gardner & Partners]], it took 18 months to complete and the new museum was opened in 1988 by [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]].
Some of the features of the new museum included:<ref name=":0" />
* A reconstruction of the 18th-century Stock Office designed by Sir [[John Soane]].
* The refurbished Rotunda contained a central, raised gold display, surrounded by 12 caryatids acting as guardians of the gold.
In the same year of its opening, it received the City Heritage Award and the Stone Federation Award for Outstanding Craftsmanship.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Elementsintro|url=https://www.codaprojects.com/BankofEngland.html|access-date=2021-10-11|website=www.codaprojects.com}}</ref>
[[File:BoEmuseumsign.jpg|alt=Picture of the Bank of England Museum's front entrance sign|thumb|Sign at entrance of the Bank of England Museum]]
== Exhibitions ==
In addition to the permanent collection, the museum curates rotating temporary exhibitions.
Current exhibitions include a digital exhibition on the new £50 featuring [[Alan Turing]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Smartify {{!}} New £50 note featuring Alan Turing|url=https://smartify.org/tours/new-ps50-note-featuring-alan-turing|access-date=2021-10-11|website=Smartify}}</ref>
Recent temporary exhibitions include:
* [[Feliks Topolski]]: Drawing Debden (2018)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Feliks Topolski: Drawing Debden|url=https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum/whats-on/2018/feliks-topolski|access-date=2021-10-11|website=www.bankofengland.co.uk|language=en}}</ref>
* 325 Years, 325 Objects (2019)<ref>{{Cite web|title=325 years, 325 objects|url=https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum/whats-on/2019/325-years-exhibition|access-date=2021-10-11|website=www.bankofengland.co.uk|language=en}}</ref>
==Permanent displays==
The Bank of England Museum covers around 10,000 square feet (930 m<sup>2</sup>) and displays a wide-ranging collection detailing the history of the Bank of England from its foundation in 1694 to the modern day.
One of the highlights of the displays is the opportunity to hold a genuine [[Gold bar|bar]] of [[gold]] (99.79% pure gold), which can be handled from within its perspex box.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/education/Pages/museum/visiting/rotunda.aspx|title=The Rotunda: 1800 to 1946 - Bank of England|website=www.bankofengland.co.uk|access-date=21 October 2017|archive-date=29 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129132157/http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/education/Pages/museum/visiting/rotunda.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> The value of the gold bar is updated each day and displayed alongside the bar.
Other permanent displays include a Banknote Gallery, history of the architecture of the Bank, and a Modern Economy display.
== Collections ==
The collection contains over 40,000 items including archaeology, banknotes, coins, oil paintings, sculpture, antique furniture, decorative art and social history.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore the collection|url=https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum/online-collections|access-date=2021-10-11|website=www.bankofengland.co.uk|language=en}}</ref>
The collection focuses on the role of the Bank as the creator of Bank of England banknotes. Banknotes and items related to their design and production make up around 30,000 items of the collection, with banknotes themselves making up about 10,000 of these. Items in the banknotes collection include:
* examples of every note the Bank has ever made;
* printing plates;
* material samples
* examples of forgeries and counterfeits.
The museum also has a large collection of political cartoons relating to the Bank's history<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cartoons and caricatures|url=https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum/online-collections/artworks/cartoons-and-caricatures|access-date=2021-10-11|website=www.bankofengland.co.uk|language=en}}</ref> and oil paintings.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Artworks|url=https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum/online-collections/artworks|access-date=2021-10-11|website=www.bankofengland.co.uk|language=en}}</ref>
==References==
{{Portal|Banks}}
<references/>
==External links==
* [https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum/ Bank of England Museum]
{{Museums and galleries in London}}
▲{{coord|51.514057|-0.088059|type:landmark|display=title}}
[[Category:Bank of England|Museum]]
[[Category:Numismatic museums in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Museums in the City of London]]
[[Category:Museums of economics]]▼
[[Category:Bank museums]]
[[Category:Financial history of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1988 establishments in England]]
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