MONEY has taken many forms over time, and a fascinating new exhibition in Frome shows the many ways it has appeared and been used in this area.
Money Matters – Money & Trade Over Time was launched at Frome Heritage Museum by Dr David Robinson, the museum’s curator of money and medals, at the beginning of the month.
The displays include money in a variety of forms, including tokens from Frome and elsewhere, that were circulated when the national currency was in short supply, plus other artefacts relating to trade. This last category includes two beautifully kept ledgers from Allards the saddlers in Christchurch Street West. There are also scales of various sorts – have you ever wondered for example how paper is weighed?
Many younger visitors to the exhibition will never have encountered our pre-decimal currency of pounds, shillings and pence. To help them with this there is for example a shove-halfpenny board (a game played in public houses) and a display of 240 George V pennies (one pound in old money but not less than a kilo in weight).
The exhibition explores the concept of other kinds of money including Monopoly money, stage money, chocolate money and sea shells.
Hoards of money are very topical and are not forgotten at this event – two small collections of coins from Frome and Beckington are on display. A special highlight amongst the items being exhibited is a fine example of the largest copper coin ever minted in the UK – a George III two pence of 1797.
The exhibition is scheduled to run during the autumn and spring terms of 2017 to 2018. Details are available on the at frome museum.word press.com
