Went to a museum today in Barcelona.
They had this incredible exhibit on the history of money—coins, banknotes, emergency currencies, war money, even “plastic money.”
And yet, the thing that struck me most? Every single one of them is dead.
All money dies. Kings fall, governments change, revolutions happen, hyperinflation kicks in—and one by one, every currency meets its grave.
But Bitcoin? Bitcoin is different. Bitcoin is eternal.
Here’s what I discovered.
The Funeral of 15 Forms of Money
Each emerged, thrived, and ultimately disappeared. Some were valuable. Others were illusions. None survived.
1. Croats (1350s-1500s)
• A silver coin from Barcelona and Perpignan.
• Once strong, but civil wars and new rulers erased it.
• This money no longer exists.
2. Alfonsino & Carlín (1430s-1500s)
• Gold and silver coins under Alfonso the Magnanimous.
• Used in Aragon, Naples, and the Mediterranean.
• This money no longer exists.
3. Principat Gold Coin “Pacífico” (1470s-1500s)
• A short-lived gold currency modeled on Venetian standards.
• Created in war, lost in peace.
• This money no longer exists.
4. Denier & Obole (900s-1300s)
• Medieval coins made of real silver and copper.
• Debased into worthlessness over centuries.
• This money no longer exists.
5. Trentin & Ardite (1500s-1700s)
• Low-value Catalan coins, made in copper.
• Devalued and outlived by the monarchy’s changing hands.
• This money no longer exists.
6. Emergency Money of the War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714)
• Barcelona minted coins in the name of Archduke Charles.
• Banned by Philip V after his victory.
• This money no longer exists.
7. Money of the Reapers’ War (1640-1652)
• Coins minted by rebels and royalists during Catalonia’s uprising.
• Disappeared when Spain reasserted control.
• This money no longer exists.
8. French-Occupied Barcelona Money (1808-1814)
• Joseph Bonaparte’s currency, introducing pesetas and cuartos.
• Vanished when Napoleon lost.
• This money no longer exists.
9. Pellofer Tokens (1600s-1800s)
• Brass religious tokens with monetary value.
• Exchanged for real money but faded away.
• This money no longer exists.
10. Emergency Money of Ferdinand VII (1809-1814)
• Issued in resistance to French rule.
• Replaced after Spain’s monarchy was restored.
• This money no longer exists.
11. Silver & Gold Hoards of the 19th Century (1800s-1900s)
• French and Spanish gold and silver coins.
• Hoarded, melted, and replaced by paper money.
• This money no longer exists.
12. Catalan Paper Money (1936-1938)
• Civil War emergency banknotes.
• Banned by the Republican government in 1938.
• This money no longer exists.
13. Second Republic Coins (1931-1936)
• Issued when Spain became a republic.
• War and dictatorship erased them.
• This money no longer exists.
14. The Peseta (1868-2002)
• Spain’s national currency, gold-backed at first.
• Depreciated into paper and abandoned for the euro.
• This money no longer exists.
15. Plastic Money (1960s-present)
• A hallucination of money, backed by nothing.
• Born to replace cash. Soon to be replaced itself.
• This money never really existed.
What Comes Next?
The exhibit stops here. But I dream of one final display:
🟠 Jan 3, 2009 - Perfect Money is Born 🟠
Bitcoin. The money that never dies.
Would love to see my grandkids walk past these lost currencies, arriving at a bright, orange-glowing case—the final money that stood the test of time.
