Coins, Currency, and Medals

$100,000 U.S. Gold Certificate

The museum possesses one of the largest and most diverse numismatic collections in the world. Its diverse holdings represent every inhabited continent and span more than three millennia. The collection includes coins, paper money, medals, tokens, commodity and alternative currencies, coin dies, printing plates, scales and weights, financial documents and apparatuses, credit cards, and objects that reflect established and emerging digital monetary technologies worldwide.

Resource Type: Credit cards

Diners Club Western Section

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1961
maker
Diner's Club of America
ID Number
NU.72.66.52
catalog number
72.66.52
accession number
301409
serial number
2000

Carte Blanche Credit Card -- Valid 08/76 thru 07/78

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1976
maker
unknown
ID Number
NU.84.17.12
catalog number
NU*84.17.12
accession number
1984.0606

Carte Blanche Credit Card -- Valid 08/78 thru 07/80

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1978
maker
unknown
ID Number
NU.84.17.13
catalog number
NU*84.17.13
accession number
1984.0606

Sears, Roebuck and Co. Credit Card

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
unknown
user
Clain-Stefanelli, Vladimir
maker
unknown
ID Number
1992.0050.0008
catalog number
1992.0050.0008
accession number
1992.0050
catalog number
91.50.08

Choice Credit Card -- Valid 11/81 thru 11/82

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1981
associated dates
1981 11 14 / 1981 11 14, 1982 11 / 1982 11
user
Clain-Stefanelli, Vladimir
maker
unknown
ID Number
1992.0050.0010
catalog number
1992.0050.0010
accession number
1992.0050
catalog number
92.50.10

Diners Club Card -- Valid 05/75 thru 04/76

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1975
maker
unknown
ID Number
NU.84.17.15
catalog number
NU*84.17.15
accession number
1984.0606

Visa; American Automobile Association -- Good thru 07/79

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
unknown
maker
unknown
issuing authority
American Automobile Association
ID Number
NU.84.17.24
catalog number
NU*84.17.24
accession number
1984.0606

The Executive Group Insurance Card -- Valid thru 5/01/77

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1977
maker
unknown
ID Number
NU.84.17.20
catalog number
NU*84.17.20
accession number
1984.0606

Diners Club International Card -- Valid 05/79 thru 04/80

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1979
maker
unknown
ID Number
NU.84.17.19
catalog number
NU*84.17.19
accession number
1984.0606

American Express Executive Card; First National Bank of Washington, D.C. -- Valid 07/74 thru 06/75

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1974
maker
unknown
ID Number
1985.0823.02
catalog number
1985.0823.02
accession number
1985.0823

Mercantile Bank Mastercard -- St. Louis Blues (sample)

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
unknown
issuing authority
Mercantile Bank
maker
Mercantile Bank
ID Number
1992.0451.0003
catalog number
1992.0451.0003
accession number
1992.0451
catalog number
92.451.03

Diners Club of Canada Credit Card -- Expires November 30, 1959 (Specimen)

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1959
issuing authority
Diner's Club of Canada
ID Number
NU.72.66.64
accession number
301409
catalog number
72.66.64

Esso Credit Card -- Expires End of 04/72

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1971
maker
unknown
ID Number
1985.0823.16
catalog number
1985.0823.16
accession number
1985.0823

Gourmet's Guest Club Credit Card, United States, 1955

This is a sample card and directory for the Gourmet’s Guest Club Credit card. The Gourmet’s Guest Club Credit Card was established by Gourmet magazine around 1954.
Description
This is a sample card and directory for the Gourmet’s Guest Club Credit card. The Gourmet’s Guest Club Credit Card was established by Gourmet magazine around 1954. It functioned similarly to the Diners’ Club card, allowing consumers to pay for meals and hotels with credit instead of cash. The Diners’ Club card helped popularize credit card payments during the 1950s, and its success prompted other companies to issue their own cards to capitalize on the trend. The card came with a booklet listing the 600 hotels and restaurants that accepted Gourmet’s Guest Club. As the credit card business grew, it also began to consolidate, with American Express acquiring Gourmet Guest Club in 1958 to compete with Diners’ Club.
date made
1955
ID Number
NU.72.66.118
catalog number
72.66.118
accession number
301409

Esso Credit Card -- Expires last day of 04/70

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1969
maker
unknown
ID Number
NU.69.235.56
catalog number
69.235.56
accession number
287686

American Express Gold; 1st National Bank of Washington, D.C. -- Valid 07/75 thru 06/76

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1975
maker
American Express Company
unknown
ID Number
NU.84.17.02
catalog number
NU*84.17.02
accession number
1984.0606

Central Charge Service Credit Card

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
unknown
maker
unknown
ID Number
NU.84.17.14
catalog number
NU*84.17.14
accession number
1984.0606

BankAmericard; First & Merchants National Bank -- Good thru 09/75

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1974
maker
unknown
ID Number
1985.0823.07
catalog number
1985.0823.07
accession number
1985.0823

American Express Gold; Union First National Bank -- Valid 07/77 thru 06/78

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1977
maker
unknown
ID Number
NU.84.17.04
catalog number
NU*84.17.03
accession number
1984.0606

Access Mastercard National Westminster Bank

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1986
maker
unknown
ID Number
1993.0526.0002
catalog number
1993.0526.0002
accession number
1993.0526
catalog number
93.526.02

Gourmet's Guest Club Credit Card, United Statesm 1957

This Gourmet’s Guest Club Credit Card and store Directory was owned by Richard F. O’Mara, of O’Mara & Flodin Inc. around 1956. Club credit cards like this were ideal for company expense accounts, as it provided accurate accounting with its monthly billings.
Description
This Gourmet’s Guest Club Credit Card and store Directory was owned by Richard F. O’Mara, of O’Mara & Flodin Inc. around 1956. Club credit cards like this were ideal for company expense accounts, as it provided accurate accounting with its monthly billings. The Gourmet’s Guest Club Credit Card was established by Gourmet magazine around 1954. It functioned similarly to the Diners’ Club card, allowing consumers to pay for meals and hotels with credit instead of cash. The Diners’ Club card helped popularize credit card payments during the 1950s, and its success prompted other companies to issue their own cards to capitalize on the trend. The card came with a booklet listing the 600 hotels and restaurants that accepted Gourmet’s Guest Club. As the credit card business grew, it also began to consolidate, with American Express acquiring Gourmet Guest Club in 1958 to compete with Diners’ Club.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1957
signatory
O'Mara, Richard F.
issuing authority
Gourmet's Guest Club
ID Number
NU.72.66.119
accession number
301409
catalog number
72.66.119

First & Merchants BankAmericard Visa

The BankAmericard was introduced by Bank of America in 1958 as the first general purpose credit card. Prior to this, credit cards were either issued by specific retailers or were used for a specific purpose (e.g. Diners’ Club was originally used in restaurants).
Description
The BankAmericard was introduced by Bank of America in 1958 as the first general purpose credit card. Prior to this, credit cards were either issued by specific retailers or were used for a specific purpose (e.g. Diners’ Club was originally used in restaurants). This was also the first credit card with revolving credit that could be paid down incrementally instead of paying the balance at the end of each month. The idea caught on quickly as other institutions began issuing their own BankAmericards. In 1976 BankAmericard officially became branded as a Visa card.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1978
maker
unknown
ID Number
NU.84.17.10
catalog number
84.17.10
accession number
1984.0606

Diners Club Credit Card -- Expires August 31, 1952 (Specimen)

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1952
issuing authority
Diner's Club of America
ID Number
NU.72.66.3
accession number
301409
catalog number
72.66.3

Stack's Charge/Credit Identification Card -- Expires December 31, 1975

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1974
maker
unknown
ID Number
1985.0823.19
catalog number
1985.0823.19
accession number
1985.0823

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