Since 1990 the Banco de España Historical Archive has managed the Numismatic Service, which brings together and preserves the Bank’s collections of coins and banknotes. These holdings are an essential resource for anyone researching monetary and financial history and form part of the institution’s broader work to share and safeguard cultural and historical heritage.
Coins
The coin collection is made up mainly of Spanish and foreign pieces in various metals (gold in particular) minted from classical antiquity right through to the present day.
Although it spans a very long period, the most complete groups date from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Of particular note is the extensive collection of onzas and fractional denominations from the House of Bourbon, one of the most significant categories in the entire collection.
(171 KB)Banknotes
The banknote collection brings together Spanish banknotes issued by the Banco de España and its predecessor institutions, starting with the first issue by the Banco de San Carlos in 1783.
It also preserves:
- banknotes issued by the Banco de Isabel II
- a large number of notes from issuing banks (1856-74)
- a broad selection of banknotes produced by various bodies during the Spanish Civil War.
Links to publications on banknotes
The Numismatic Service’s holding are accompanied by reference works that are available through the Banco de España’s Repository:
