Skip to content
  • FR
FR
  • About us
    Building, illuminated glass towers on either side of an old, square, stone building.

    About us

    We're here to help you understand what the Bank of Canada does and how it matters to you.

    About the Bank of Canada

    Find out what the Bank does, who runs the Bank and how it is separate from the political process.

    Connect with us

    We'd love to hear from you! Contact us by email, phone or mail—or join us on social media.

  • Visit

    Visit

    • Plan your visit
    • Accessibility and special needs
    • Code of conduct
    • COVID-19 protocols

    Money in 10 Questions: Kids Edition

    On view until Fall 2024. A play-based exhibition where kids learn the basics of money and personal finance—and have fun doing it.

    Family Fun Weekends

    Pop into the Museum for Family Fun Weekends this May 27 to 28, June 3 to 4 and June 10 to 11 for activities offering both financial know how and fun.

  • Explore

    Exhibitions

    • Permanent exhibition
    • Special exhibitions
    • Travelling exhibitions
    • Past exhibitions

    Blog

    Collection

    • About the Collection
    • Collection Services
    • Canadian Bank Notes Series
    • Search the Collection

    Caring for your coins

    Coin collecting can be a fun and fascinating hobby. But there are a few things you should know to keep your collection safe and in good condition. Because coins aren’t as robust as you might imagine.

  • Learn

    Learn

    • Activities and games
    • Education blog
    • External resources
    • Lesson plans
    • School programs
    • Video discussion guides

    Needs or wants? That is the question!

    Do you need it, or do you want it? That’s an important question to ask before buying anything. This activity is designed to teach kids how to prioritize their needs and wants, and how to make informed choices when shopping.

    Teaching math using money

    From skip counting to making change, working with money is a great way for students to practice math skills.

Notice of early closure
The Museum will be closed Tuesday, June 27 and Wednesday, June 28 for maintenance.
  • Home
  • The Museum Blog

First Artifacts to Leave the Museum: And they were big

By: Graham Iddon


September 6, 2013

Before the museum closed for renovations on 2 July, technicians began to remove the heavier artifacts in late May. First to go was the strong box. Built of ¼” thick welded steel plates, this trunk was used by the Bank of Upper Canada in Toronto between 1821 and 1866. It weighs around 300 lbs. and required two large men to move. Collections Manager Patricia Measures carefully removed the artifacts: Bank of Upper Canada bills arranged in a ‘filler stack’ (a stack of bills with a real one on top and blank paper underneath) and early Canadian coins affixed to a display backdrop of prop money bags. Both the coins and the paper money will be subjected to detailed inspections and the coins will require careful removal of any residue before going into storage. The artifacts had been on display in this case for over 30 years. Despite its weight, the strong box was soundly attached to the display cabinet and had to be lifted up off of 4 inch bolts before it could be lowered to the floor and slid into its crate.

Just around the corner was the geometric lathe - a mechanical engraving machine that functioned like a Spirograph and was operated by the British American Banknote Co. Its purpose was to engrave the intricate patterns of loops and spirals seen in the borders of older bills (called ‘gilloche’). It weighs far more than the strong box: 4 people, creative thinking, some colourful language and a hydraulic lift were required to manoeuver this artifact to its new storage crate. Actually, the crate needed to be built around the lathe, rather than the lathe put into a crate.

As you may have seen on the news, the Museum’s Yap Stone was removed from the centre court of the Bank on 3 June. Yap Stones were used as a status symbol and trade token on the Micronesian island of Yap during the nineteenth century. The 2 metre tall, nearly 2000 kg rai stone (the largest outside of Yap) has been sitting on its stand in the Garden Court of the Bank since 1979. A steel cradle was built for the stone, windows were removed from the Bank’s curtain wall to gain access and, finally, a crane was brought in to lift the piece out. The 50 tonne capacity truck mounted crane gently elevated it, rotated it sideways, lifted it out the space afforded by the recently removed windows and then placed onto the back of a semi-trailer truck. It all went smoothly and quickly; no toes were harmed in any way.

All three artifacts are now safely stowed at the Museum’s storage facility in Gatineau.

We want to hear from you! Do you have an idea for a blog post you’d like to see?
Content type(s): Blog posts

30 Bank Street
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0G9, CANADA
613‑782‑8914

  • Things to do

  • Plan your visit
  • Find educational resources
  • Search the Collection
  • Connect with us
  • Things to see

  • Canadian bank notes
  • Exhibitions
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • Things to know

  • Accessibility and special needs
  • Code of conduct
  • COVID-19 protocols
  • Privacy
●●
Bank of Canada Museum

Visit the Bank of Canada web site ›

We use cookies to help us keep improving this website.

Accept and continue