Gold as a precious metal

Since the dawn of history, humanity has been captivated by gold, this mystical, glittering precious metal, which, within the walls of the Money Museum, symbolizes not only material wealth but also spiritual riches and the growth of knowledge. Gold is not only of outstanding importance for symbolic or aesthetic reasons: its trade and distribution for investment purposes remain significant to this day, and until the 1970s, state gold reserves ultimately provided the backing for currency in much of the world.  

Although national gold reserves no longer back official currency, they remain highly important for economic stability. Under the menu item "Gold reserve," we present the historically significant program through which the Magyar Nemzeti Bank has increased its gold reserves by orders of magnitude in recent years.

This menu item also tells the story of how, at the end of World War II, the nation's 30 tons of gold reserves were smuggled across the border by train, in a manner worthy of an adventure novel. Former employees of the Magyar Nemzeti Bank set out on a journey, risking their lives to prevent the confiscation of state property, thanks to which it could be returned to Hungary. In addition to our website, we also present the story of the Gold Train in detail to our visitors in the exhibition space.