MCI Project Summaries 2008 - Smithsonian Institution

MCI 6189 SI Exhibit: Classically Greek: Coins and Banknotes from Antiquity to
Today
MCI Staff: Jia-sun Tsang, Ximena Pezoa
The bank notes in this exhibition are from the National Bank of Greece and the coins are
from the Welfare Foundation for Social and Cultural Affairs. The culture, history, and
mythology of ancient Greece were portrayed in the images on Greek coins and bank notes.
These bank notes used for everyday exchange preserved the story about the people, the politics
and the power that shaped both ancient and modern Greece
This exhibition was organized by the National Bank of Greece Historical Archives and
sponsored by National Bank of Greece, the Benaki Museum at Athens, and the Welfare
Foundation for Social and Cultural Affairs (KIKPE), Athens, Greece with assistance from the
National Numismatic collection staff at the National Museum of American History, and was
coordinated, designed, edited and produced by the Office of Exhibits Central.
The conservator from Greece hand carried objects to DC and the objects were checked
for condition and prepared to be mounted and, in preparation for the exhibition at the
Smithsonian Castle. OEC requested MCI to interact with Greek conservator to ensure the
lender’s requirements were met. SI’s conservator for the exhibition, provided collection care of
coins and worked closely with visiting conservators from Greece to secure local conservation
materials and supplies for the mount and encapsulation.
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