Thaler.
Minted Riga, during the reign of Christina, Queen of Sweden, 1639. Silver
The collection of the Numismatics Department consists of approximately 160 000 items—coins, banknotes, medals, and paranumismatica. The oldest coins are dated 400 BC, whilst the paper money, awards and medals date back to the 17th century. The coins collection is particularly distinguished, with 172 sets containing some 80 000 individual items. This collection is regularly augmented with new coins, jubilee and commemorative bank notes issued by the Bank of Latvia. The paper money collection consists of banknotes from around the world. The collection has an almost complete set of Russian imperial banknotes. Of national significance is the paranumismatica collection of Latvian and foreign awards. The Museum possesses the only known complete set of Lāčplēšis military medals, the only Three Star Order with Chain existent in Latvia, awarded to Latvian President A. Kviesis in 1930, and Viesturs Medal category 1. There is a large collection of agricultural society and exhibition commemorative awards (mid 18th century to 1940). There also is an extensive collection of Soviet awards, foreign medals, badges and tokens. In the medal collection there is an early example of a Sebastian Dadeler 1641 medal celebrating the 20th anniversary of the capture of Riga. An important part of the collection is that dedicated to the Great Northern War, as is the medal series on events in Russian history.