The 80^th anniversary of the end of the Spanish Civil War gives us an opportunity to reflect on the vital role of money, in all its different forms, during the conflict.

In the first session we will be looking at the effects of the fratricidal struggle on the principal bodies responsible for issuing the money in circulation and how it was symmetrically split between both sides.

The second session will focus on the situation of monetary emergency in Catalonia at the height of the war and the steps taken by the institutions. For the government of the Generalitat, it was the chance to undertake, very ambitiously for the country and excellently executed, a veritable paper money system, only partly issued eventually. On a municipal level, with very varying results, issues of low-value coupons and bonds were put into circulation. The emphasis will be placed on the resolution of the technical, creative and artistic or design aspects that were considered.

The last session will be devoted to the preservation of the numismatic heritage based on the analysis of the parallel formation of the two main collections of Catalan money from the war: the initially private one belonging to the collector Antoni Turró (1915-2009), who published its basic catalogue, and the one in the Numismatic Cabinet of Catalonia, the result of an immediate initiative to collect examples, promoted by the Museums Board.

PROGRAMME

Wednesday 27 November, 4 to 7:30 pm

• Bank of Spain Banknotes Issued During the Civil War, José María Pérez, Curator of the Museo Casa de la Moneda / Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre
• The Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre at War, Rafael Feria, Director of the Museo Casa de la Moneda / Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre

Thursday 28 November, 9:30 am to 2 pm

• Printing Presses and the Production of Banknotes in their Context, Santi Barjau, Head of the Graphics Department of the City of Barcelona Historical Archives
• Josep Obiols and the Design of the Generalitat de Catalunya’s Banknotes, Pilar Vélez, Director of the Museu del Disseny
• Local Issues: an Opportunity for Creativity in an Emergency Situation, Albert Estrada-Rius, Numismatic Cabinet of Catalonia

Thursday 28 November, 4 to 7:30 pm

• The Turró Collection and the Genesis of the Catalogue of Local Civil War Issues, Raquel Castellà, curator of the Museu d’Història de Catalunya
• The Numismatic Cabinet of Catalonia’s Collection of Local Civil War Banknotes, Maria Clua, assistant curator of the Numismatic Cabinet of Catalonia

Closing debate and end of the course

#numismàtica