Angola: Luanda – Money Museum & National Bank
One of the most beautiful colonial buildings in Luanda is the pink-colored National Bank of Angola. Next to it, is the brand new underground Museum of Money (aka Museu da Moeda) that just opened in 2017. The museum showcases the history of money in Angola starting with the days of seashells and salt used as currency, to colonial era and the present. Plenty of 16-18th century of Portuguese coins as well as heaps of different Angola coins and a nice gold bar. The museum also has replicas of several highly decorated rooms from the National Bank building which is not open to tourists. The present-day Angola coins are proudly displayed in many exhibits (while the hyperinflation has all but destroyed their value). Also when I asked if I could buy some coins as souvenirs, I was told museum doesn’t sell coins (which is akin to a grocery store not selling milk).
