Extensive collection of coins and medals to be displayed to the public at the Ostrobothnian Museum

In the updated exhibition, coins from the Swedish and Russian rule form distinct groups, as do the coins from the period of autonomy and the Republic of Finland. The exhibition features, for example, marks, fyrks, and skillings, along with some coins that are over a thousand years old.

Plates, medals and other rarities

The Swedish plate money have their own display case, as do the medals. The latter includes, for example, a medal struck to mark the 300th anniversary of Vaasa, as well as a rare Oxenstierna riksdaler. The oldest medal on display is a beautifully decorated medal from 1631, awarded by Gustavus II Adolphus of Sweden as a token of his favour. In the centre of the exhibition room is a table display showcasing various collections from the Ostrobothnian Museum. It is currently showcasing money boxes, or savings boxes.

Mauritz Hallberg’s significant collection

Honorary State Councillor Mauritz Hallberg (1851–1924) collected a significant coin and medal collection, later supplemented by his son Ejnar Hallberg (1880–1974). The estate of Mauritz Hallberg donated the collection to the Ostrobothnian Museum in 1956. The collection includes around 5,000 coins and nearly one thousand medals.

Mauritz Hallberg collected coins used in Finland, Sweden, and Russia, as well as medals related to Finland and its people. He was particularly interested in coins minted in Turku during the Middle Ages and the early modern period, and in 1919, he published a study on them (Några anteckningar om Åbo mynten). He also published a catalogue of medals commemorating individuals and related to Finland in 1906, followed by an additional volume in 1923.

Publication and lecture

The Ostrobothnian Museum published a book on the medals included in Hallberg’s collection in 2021.  A two-volume publication on the coins in the collection is also in the works, with the first volume set to be released later this spring. The publications were initially created in collaboration with the Helsinki Numismatic Society, and after it ceased operations, with the Finnish Numismatic Society.

Researcher Outi Järvinen will give a lecture on the topic on Thursday, 13 February, from 17–18 in the Ostrobothnian Museum’s auditorium. The lecture is in Finnish, free to attend and open to all.