(The St. Christopher National Trust): November 15, 2018: The National Museum has waived admission to its History of Commerce and Banking Exhibition in a move to draw more visitors before it closes on November 30th.
“As the exhibition begins to wind down, the National Trust feels that it is important to give every resident the opportunity to step into the past and delve into this pivotal period which saw a marked shift in the island’s economy,” says Executive Director Ryllis Percival.
The Exhibition provides nationals and other visitors with the opportunity to explore a little-examined period in St. Kitts’ history. One of the highlights of the exhibition is what is believed to be the largest and most varied collection of coins that were used in the Caribbean over a three hundred-year period.
Because of the non-existence of any specially minted coins for the Caribbean prior to the 1950s, all coinage that was in circulation in the region in the preceding centuries was accepted in trading. The acceptance of these coins was usually based on the resemblance and weight of copper coinage to other coins or tokens in trade at the time.
The St. Christopher National Trust Collection includes some of the different coins that were used in the region, as well as other interesting coins, buttons, weights, and other curiosities related to coinage in this period.
Hosted in collaboration with the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, the History of Commerce and Banking Exhibition also features collections of historic EC currency and commemorative series,’ on loan from the Central Bank. Most of the commemorative series’ on display are available for purchase at the Museum Gift Shop.
The exhibition includes a number of vintage artifacts and historic documents and examines the rise of the business sector on the island.
The National Museum is open Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Admission to the museum is EC$5.00 for residents. While the admission to the Special Exhibit has been waived, donations are welcomed.
