Museo del Banco Central — Local services in Autonomous City of Buenos Aires

The Central Bank of the Republic of Argentina, like the Republic herself, has…had its ups and downs, economic and otherwise. So it came as a pleasant surprise to find that the BCRA Museum is a delight. The well-organized, modern exhibit rooms put Argentina’s monetary history into the perspective of both her economic and political history, including her civil wars, cold and hot.

Interpretive panels are in Spanish. If your Spanish isn’t what it should be, you can download an app with translations of the panels, but to get the most out of the museum, you’re best off getting a guided tour.

Victoria (who gave the English tour on the day I visited) could have contented herself with supplementing the information on the various post-WW2 Argentine currencies with just with a basic discussion of the economic and especially political context. Juan and Eva Perón’s populism was undoubtedly costly, and Peronist reforms of the BCRA reduced the bank’s independence, allowing inflation to rise to about 20 percent a year on average. Even so, Evita died in 1952 and Juan was driven into exile in 1955, having reigned for only nine years. The exhibit makes clear that inflation truly got out of control on the watch of the increasingly authoritarian régimes that succeeded the Peróns, most notoriously the 1976-1983 régime. (Even Argentinians of modest means who had no interest in politics were rarely spared the effects of the junta’s economic mismanagement—a crime against the Argentine people the junta couldn’t have hoped to cover up.)

But Victoria didn’t stop there.

The general public in most countries rarely have access to oral histories of financial crises, even at currency museums. Victoria was happy to give her personal account of her experiences during the Argentine financial crisis of 1999-2002 (when she was still in university) that cost many middle-class Argentinians their life savings, and from which their faith in their own banking system (never mind their own currency) has yet to recover. aggravating Argentina’s economic (and political) instability to this day.

Victoria’s discussion of the most recent issues of Argentinian pesos focused less on their technical improvements than on how the country’s political conflicts are reflected in Argentine currency even today. (This itself has a long tradition in Argentina, where opposing sides in the hot civil wars of the 19th century issued notes that were as much propaganda as currency.)

What you won’t get is a detailed discussion of the finer details of how the BCRA conducts monetary policy today, in 2025. If such things interest you, you’re best off going to the BCRA’s website.

That said, if you want an introduction to Argentina’s political as well as economic history as told by its currency (including parts neglected by less obscure museums in Buenos Aires), this is the place to go.

And it’s free too.

(Guided tours do have to be booked ahead, and aren’t offered daily. Contact the Museum...

I had an incredible experience at this museum! Victoria, our guide, made the visit truly memorable. She conducted an engaging tour in English, sharing the fascinating history of Argentina through its banknotes and coins. What impressed me most was how she connected this history to my own country, the United States. Victoria patiently answered all our questions, and her passion for the subject was contagious. The museum’s extensive collection and the virtual tour available online make it a must-visit for anyone interested in currency and history.

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I went inside with no idea what to expect other than the typical monetary talk. But Victoria our tour guide really kept me in the loop with all the interesting information. She was such a great guide she made sure to give us all the information to be able to understand the history behind Argentinas economic and monetary challenges. It was a great experience. 10/10 recommend. If you ever go make sure to ask to...