Coins like those in your pocket have helped shape empires for thousands of years. This exhibit showcases more than six dozen coins, focusing on East Asia and the Mediterranean, and spanning more than two millennia. Each coin is both an artifact and a historical document, allowing numismatists (or coin collectors) to trace their evolution from raw metals to standardized modern currency. In this exhibit, visitors will learn how coins reveal the politics of long-gone states and how they circulated widely throughout the world, providing information on trade networks and ancient cities. Coins give a human connection to the past— mundane objects that were touched by people like us, thousands of years ago. Admission is free.