Ancient Coins Museum

Ancient Coins Museum

The Ancient Coins Museum serves as a patriotic education base.

The Deshengmen Arrow Tower, known as the "Military Gate," is one of the best-preserved arrow towers in Beijing today. The Ancient Coins Exhibition Hall was formerly the Cultural Relics Custody Office of the Deshengmen Arrow Tower. In 1992, after the state funded the reconstruction of the Zhenwu Temple, the Ancient Coins Exhibition Hall was developed into a venue integrating exhibitions, research, and exchanges, providing coin enthusiasts with an excellent place to view, communicate, and trade. When visiting here, you can learn about the development history of ancient coins, their casting techniques, how to distinguish genuine ancient coins from counterfeits, and paper currency from various dynasties. You’ll discover that every small coin embodies rich historical and cultural significance. During the spring and autumn seasons each year, the museum hosts a national coin trading fair, where enthusiasts can exchange insights on ancient coins and trade for pieces they like.

Detailed Introduction to the Ancient Coins Exhibition Hall: Standing majestically on the North Second Ring Middle Road in Beijing is the grand ancient structure — the Deshengmen Arrow Tower. The Beijing Ancient Coins Exhibition Hall is located right beneath it. It was completed and opened to the public in October 1993. The Deshengmen Arrow Tower was first built in the early years of the Zhengtong era during the Ming Dynasty and was once one of the nine gate defense structures of the Ming and Qing capital. It has a history of over 500 years. The tower features gray walls and green tiles, stands 31.9 meters tall, and is built with a brick-and-wood structure. It consists of a front tower and rear wing, with four levels in total, and includes 82 arrow windows. The beams, columns, brackets, and arches inside the tower are all decorated with colorful paintings.

On the upper floor, there is a permanent exhibition titled “Exhibition of Beijing’s City Gates and Walls.” The Ancient Coins Museum is housed within the reconstructed Qing-era Zhenwu Temple, where the “Series of Chinese Ancient Coins Through the Dynasties” is displayed. Here, you can learn that ancient Chinese coins came in a wide variety of types and shapes — such as knife-shaped, square, and round — and were made from materials including gold, silver, copper, pottery, and paper. Each small coin embodies profound cultural meaning, reflecting the social life and political changes of its time. Every change in the monetary system has had an impact on the course of history. Since its establishment, the museum has exhibited some of the earliest forms of currency, such as cowrie shells, spade coins, and “ghost face” coins, as well as copper coins from various dynasties, Qing-era silver notes, and Republican-era paper money. In addition, the museum also features an ancient coins exchange market where visitors can buy, trade, and have coins appraised for authenticity and grade by experts. The museum has become a hub for coin enthusiasts to engage in research, collection, and trading, as well as a window for locals to learn about coins and participate in coin collecting activities.

Address: No. 9, Deshengmen East Street, North Second Ring Middle Road, Xicheng District, Beijing