The Museum houses the Philatelic and Numismatic Collections of the Prince of Monaco. The Numismatic Collection is centred on the coins of the Sovereign Princes of Monaco and monetary finds made in the Principality in the 19th century.
A special room, known as the Rare Stamps Room, hosts philatelic or numismatic rarities at the prestigious international exhibitions in which the Museum participates. Moreover, every two years, the establishment hosts the world event “Monacophil” which brings together philatelists (people who collect postage stamps) from all over the world. Since 2008, every four or three years, the museum is the setting for a prestigious international numismatic exhibition. Participants include: the National Library of France (Paris), the Museum of Art and History in Vienna (Austria), the Monnaie de Paris, the Museums of Marseille and Lyon, the Archives of the Princely Palace, etc.
One of the special features of the museum is that it does not only exhibit stamps and coins, but also machines and tools. This allows visitors to understand the manufacturing process in the 19th century. Moreover, the first Monégasque stamps date back to 1885 by Prince Charles III. The first Monégasque coins were created in January 1640 by Prince Honoré II. Then, in October 1643, Louis XIV granted Honoré II the benefit of the free circulation in France of his gold and silver coins, on condition that they were aligned with the corresponding French coins. This rule was reinforced in 1865 for all Monégasque coins until the creation of the Euro on 1 January 2001.
The Stamp and Coin Museum is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm (6 pm in July and August). Here you can purchase the available philatelic and monetary products made by the Principality.
