Mission Statement
To create standards of service for society for educating youth, and increase awareness of the common man through regular displays and special exhibitions/events
Vision Statement
To make the SBP Museum a Living, Interactive State of Art and Knowledge Institution for the benefit of the public and to preserve the History of Coinage and State Bank of Pakistan
Background
Pakistan is one of the very few places in the world where the currency developed from its very rudimentary from to the advanced level of coinage. Panini, Sanskrit grammarian, mentions that the concept of coinage in this area existed even much earlier than 500 BC. The first coins of this region were minted before the 5th century BC in ancient Gandhara, present day area of Taxila, Pakistan. These are known as Punch Marked Coins.
Monetary and Archives Museums are necessary adjuncts of Central Banks. The idea of Central Bank Museums was not new, and the most of the Central Banks around the globe have their own Museums. To document this interesting history, the idea of establishment of Money Museum developed, where educational activities and outreach program for the public especially for the students and children may be executed..
Knowing the importance and for materialization of this plan the former Governor of State Bank of Pakistan,Shujat Ali Hasnie (July 20, 1960 to July 19. 1967) in early 1960 assigned this task to the Director, Public Relations to visit to Bank of England to learn as well as to study about the Museum of Bank of England. Resultantly, a small scale Museum was established with exhibits of archival documents and coins; at 5th floor of the main building of SBP. This museum was working under the Public Relation Department (PRD), headed by Ms. Sabiha Hasan the then Director. On account of renovation and reconstruction of the Building this Museum was dismantled in September 2002.Ms. Hasan, former Director, External Relation Department, brought this to Dr. Ishrat Husain's notice the then Governor of State Bank of Pakistan, who was an Art Lover and an enthusiast of culture.
Later on it was decided by SBP in 2004 to establish a new and large scale Museum with extensive displays of History of State Bank, coins, stamps, currency, artwork and other objects of public and Bank interest. Hence, an expanded and large Museum was proposed in the old heritage building, adjacent to SBP Main Building, the Imperial Bank of India. Later, it housed the State Bank's Library before its conversion into Present State Bank Museum.
Establishment of SBP Museum and its Inauguration
The actual practical work started when SBP hired the subject specialist, famous archaeologist and museologist of Pakistan Dr. Asma Ibrahim as founding Director of the Museum, an energetic and talented lady, having a great experience and knowledge of Museums. She jointed in the second half of the September 2006. She did the conservation of the Building, acquired the collection, trained manpower etc. It took five years to bring this dream into a reality. This was indeed a hectic and pains taking work, performing and supervising dozen of tasks simultaneously. The Museum was inaugurated on 1st July 2011, the date was selected because of the relevance of the date of inauguration of State Bank of Pakistan by Quaid-i-Azam on 1st July 1948.During the tenure of Mr.Shahid Kardar, Governor of State Bank at the time, keeping in view that the project was envisaged during his time. The establishment of Money Museum is not only appreciated at national level, but also got high remarks from international scholars and visitors.
Museum Aims, Objectives and Activities
1. Preserve the cultural heritage that exists in the form of the old SBP building and the acquisitions SBP had made overtime.
2. To provide an opportunity to general public, especially the younger generation, to learn about SBP's history, money and coins, monetary policy and its evolving role over time.
3. To display therein material drawn from SBP's own collection of artefacts, historic documents, prints, banknotes, coins and photographs. The material is used to illustrate the history of the institution (SBP) and its role in Pakistan's economy. Technological audio visual displays are used to illustrate the institution's past and present day responsibilities and how it fulfils them for the interest of public and students.
4. The Murals and collages of Sadequain displayed in the Sadequain Art Gallery.
5. To regularly exhibit, contemporary paintings and objects of arts in the Contemporary art Gallery.
6. Special exhibitions and events, student competitions are arranged in the Museum throughout the year as well as guided tours for the students from all over Pakistan.
7. A variety of talks and presentations are arranged, in the Museum for groups of visitors of all ages, interests.
8. Museum also acquire or purchase any works of art and artefacts, necessary for the educational interests of students and general public or ancillary and incidental to the main objectives of the Museum as given above.
9. For the first time in Pakistan Artist in Residence program is initiated for young and upcoming artists.
10. The Museum is the only Museum of Pakistan which is fully accessible for any kind of special need.
Overview of Museum
The SBP Money Museum is the only specialist Economic & Central Banking Museum in Pakistan designed to educate & inform, highlighting & celebrating Pakistan's wider economic & banking history, as well as the origin and roles of the State Bank of Pakistan. This building was constructed for Imperial Bank of India in 1920s. It is a Greeco-Roman style building in Jodhpuri Red Sandstone. The unique feature of the building is the glass ceiling made in brass, fish scale pattern, joined by screws instead of welding. Original Burma teak doors & wall skirting was also treated, and preserved from deterioration.
Museum is Comprised of Pre Islamic & Islamic Coin Galleries, Stamp Gallery, Currency Gallery, History of State Bank, Governors' Gallery, and Art Gallery. The coin galleries depicting coinage from its evolution till contemporary period, Stamps which were used as Currency in the interim period between Coinage to Currency, and the Currency Gallery from very early time period to present Polymer Notes.
Museum also holds Exhibition on the occasions of 14th August, 25thDecember, and 23rd March and on the other important days. So far, museum has held dozens of Exhibitions in the Museum.
History of SBP and Governors' Gallery are depicting the History of SBP from its establishment since 1948, and the Governors' Gallery is comprised of brief profiles of the Ex-Governors with their photographs.
The Art Gallery is one of the most attractive part of the Museum, displaying Sadequain's four huge murals and collages of metal and wood. One mural of Zahoor-ul-Akhlaq, displayed in Contemporary Art Gallery, where temporary exhibitions of young artists held on quarterly basis.
Newly established Division of Archives & Record Management is dealing with the management of records of State Bank & State Bank BSC. The Division also have an advanced paper conservation lab and record room with preservation of records digitally as well as physically.
Technical Section consists of Metal Conservation Lab, Modeling (Replica) Section, which is responsible for conservation of coins for their preservation and consolidation.
Replica Section is unique and one of its own kind, it is responsible for preparing replicas/models as souvenirs for the visitors. The Souvenir shop is the main attraction of the Museums and is a reason to revisit. The Souvenir Shop has been established in the SBP Museum to promote cultural heritage, historical educational material, chronological sequences of artwork and coins etc. The Shop includes replicas of the materials and some size specific products, publications and interactive videos and demos. The literature available also serves its educational purpose.
Research Section is dealing with publications and souvenirs research. The Publication Section is publishing the catalogues comprised of collections documentation digitally & physically, monographs, brochures, captions and labels prepared from the research work carried out by the officers of SBP Museum. The main objective of this section is to digitize the collection, preserve it, and make it available for publication. The souvenirs for souvenir shop are selected for preparation purpose after a thorough research with a brief description of the object tagged with the souvenir for creating awareness about our history and culture.
Donations
A unique collection of World Stamps placed, and preserved immaculately in 210 albums, from 106 countries, Handmade Bank Note designs and proofs of his own 25 sheets, and Bank note proposed designs40 sheets, stamp designing process 35 sheets, collected over the time of 50 years. Mr. Adil Salahuddin former General Manager, Chief Designer and Chief Archivist, Pakistan Security Printing Corporation (PSPC) donated his life time collection to SBP Museum in 2015.
The other donations include sculpture by Amin Gulgee, son of world famous Ismail Gulgee. Amin Gulgee is also a famous artist like his father. He donated a 3D calligraphy art piece to SBP Museum and Art Gallery, in loving memory of his beloved mother. The other donations include paintings and documents related to history of Pakistan.
On State Bank of Pakistan Museum "A Decade o Serving Heritage" (2011-2021), Pakistan Post is issuing the Commemorative Postage Stamp of Rs 20/- denomination each on July 01, 2021.
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