Cantonal monetary museum, Numismatic collection in Lausanne, Switzerland
The Musée monétaire cantonal is a numismatic collection housed in the Palais de Rumine in Lausanne, Switzerland. It brings together coins, medals, tokens, weights, and seals from the Bishopric of Lausanne, the canton of Vaud, Switzerland, and neighboring regions, along with a library of about 20,000 volumes.
Created in 1701 by Bernese authorities, the museum was first known as the Cabinet des médailles and became a separate institution in 1848. It moved to the Palais de Rumine in 1906 and was renamed the Musée monétaire cantonal in 2003.
The collection serves as a legal depository for coins found in the canton, and many of these finds are displayed in temporary exhibitions. Visitors can see how money was used in daily life across different periods, from small change to ceremonial medals.
The museum is located inside the Palais de Rumine, a large building on the Place de la Riponne in the center of Lausanne. Visitors can reach it on foot from the nearby metro station and should allow time to explore the other museums in the same building.
The museum holds a collection of around 100,000 monetary objects, including coins, banknotes, medals, and seals. It also keeps a numismatic library of about 20,000 volumes, which is a reference in Switzerland.
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