Aruba Numismatic Museum - Worth the trip

xbob

Well I wouldn't go to Aruba just for this place, but it's pretty cool that it's there. (Maybe dealers could work in a tax write off) The Aruba Numismatic Museum is a quiet little building that really is just a very large personal collection on display. The size of the collection, variety, and organization/documentation was in some ways just as impressive as the coins. Unfortunately, many of the coins appeared cleaned. I guess at one time that was what some collectors did (?) especially for public display. It really didn't matter though - they were collector coins for the sake of collecting - not registry grade material. There are coins from all over the world, including many ancients, with a focus on the early Dutch coins and others used on the islands in the area. The U.S. examples were actually kind of dismal. Just a few 19th & 20th C. circulated pieces, and some modern proofs. Oddly enough, U.S. money is used more on Aruba now than their own coinage (the Florin).



The collector, Mario Odor, passed away a few years ago. Aruba is a small island and his collection is a source of pride for the family and the island. Try to get that kind of respect in the U.S. His daughters keep the museum going and gave me a tour. My camera doesn't have manual focus so shooting through the displays was a lost cause. But here's a few overall shots and a close up of the souvenir medal I picked up. I would've snagged a t-shirt if they had them. Here's a pic of the collection heirs and museum curators (Mario's daughters):



I thought one of the most interesting items were some sectional "Pieces of Eight" Reales that were literally one eighth section cut from an 8 Reales coin. I had not known where that term originated, and the two pieces (or bits) which were one quarter of the coin is the origin of the "two bits a quarter" phrase. I'd like to get one of those bit sections someday. No pics came out of those.

Here's the proof collection:



Early island native coin display:





Another display:



Souvenir medal:



So that's all, just spreading some info not totally U.S. Coin related but not totally darkside either. If you go to Aruba check it out. Anyone else been?

Thanks for the tip, that this museum existed, to DUIGUY! (in our PM discussion 2 years ago about Aruba).

Side note - I got a small casino comp from my hotel for the slot machines. I won a cup full of nickels and decided to search them before cashing in. Big waste of time! It had to be the worst looking circulated U.S. coinage I had ever seen. Casino coins are not worth searching.

Oh, and here's a link to the museum's site:
Link

DUIGUY

Great pics Bob !! Sure makes me want to go back for another visit !!

PQpeace

I was there last year,and it was closed on Sunday
nice pics !
Larry

RR

Thanks, Bob.
Great post.

RR

Coindexter

Sadly, this is exactly the type of thing I'd want to check out if I were to visit a tropical paradise.