Athens · Kolonaki

Numismatic Museum

The Numismatic Museum houses one of the world's largest and most comprehensive coin collections inside Heinrich Schliemann's former mansion, the Iliou Melathron.

About Numismatic Museum

The Numismatic Museum houses one of the world's largest and most comprehensive coin collections inside Heinrich Schliemann's former mansion, the Iliou Melathron. You'll see 600,000 coins spanning from 1400 BC to today, including ancient Greek pieces that depict Alexander the Great and Byzantine emperors. The mansion itself is worth admiring: Pompeian style frescoes cover the ceilings, intricate mosaics cover the floors, and every room reflects Schliemann's obsession with Troy and classical antiquity.

You start in the ground floor galleries where ancient Greek coins are displayed chronologically, then move upstairs through Roman, Byzantine, and modern European sections. The mansion's rooms feel like walking through a wealthy 19th century archaeologist's private study, complete with original furniture and decorative elements. The coin displays are engaging, with detailed explanations of how ancient economies worked and what different symbols meant on various currencies.

Most guidebooks suggest visiting this attraction as a must-see in Athens, but it's really for serious history buffs and architecture enthusiasts. The mansion is worth seeing regardless of your interest in coins, making it worth the entry cost of around 4 EUR, which alone gets you a unique insight into the building's historic architecture.

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The details

Practical bits

WalkingMinimal walking

The place

Getting there

Address

Ιλίου Μέλαθρον, Ελ. Βενιζέλου, Panepistimiou 12, 10671, Athina 106 71, Greece

Neighborhood

Kolonaki →

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Good to know

Tips, answered

Enter through the main Panepistimiou Street entrance and head straight to the central hall with the mosaic floor before exploring the coin galleries

Most visitors rush through the building's decorative elements to focus on coins, but the Pompeian frescoes and period furniture are more memorable than the currency displays

Visit the small interior courtyard garden on the ground floor for photos, it's perfectly preserved and rarely crowded since most people miss the entrance near the Roman coin section

Plan for about 1h 15m.

Numismatic Museum is in the Kolonaki neighborhood of Athens. The address is Ιλίου Μέλαθρον, Ελ. Βενιζέλου, Panepistimiou 12, 10671, Athina 106 71, Greece. The area is well-served by metro.

This works well at any time of day, though mornings tend to be quieter. Weekdays are less crowded than weekends.

Closed on Tuesday. Check the official website for holiday closures and special hours.

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Landmark

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Museum

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Viewpoint

Lycabettus Hill

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Landmark

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Shopping

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Cultural Site

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