Bank of England Museum

The Bank of England, in the heart of the City of London, was established in 1694 to provide William III with finance to fight the French.

Over the years the bank grew to become Britain's central bank, with the authority to print and issue currency notes. The Bank of England also has the responsibility of storing the country's gold reserves, managing the National Debt and a safeguarding the the value of British currency.

When the Bank moved here 1734 it acquired the nickname, 'The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street'. The building was designed by Sir John Soane in 1788, the original plans can still be seen in the Sir John Soane Museum, Lincoln's Inn Fields. However, only the exterior of Soane's building has survived; the rest of the building was replaced between 1925 and 1939 when the Bank was enlarged.

The Bank of England Museum, within the Bank of England itself, covers the 300 years of the bank's history.

The museum centres on the a reconstruction of Soane's Bank Stock Office of 1793, complete with waxwork figures in period costume. The Bank Stock Office is considered to be the finest neo-classical interior in Europe.

The museum illustrates the work of the Bank of England and the story of England's financial system using interactive videos and displays, including a modern dealing desk.

Sir Herbert Baker's Rotunda contains a display of Roman gold bars as well as modern 28lb, 13kg, gold bullion.

Other exhibits include silver plated decoration, coins and the banknote gallery, displaying a complete collection of Bank of England notes. There are also pieces of Roman pottery and a Roman mosaic floor discovered during the rebuilding.

Shop, no free samples of money, but does have paperweights made from used banknotes.