The new, permanent exhibition ‘Discover Gold!’ focuses on a series of remarkable gold bars in its collections, including two rare gold bars surviving from the Roman times and a unique, completely unmarked gold bar which was a part of the coronation ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

Visitors can learn why gold has been treasured for thousands of years and examine the scientific properties that make it so useful in modern technology. Discover the origins of terms such as carats, deriving from the ancient Greek word for carob, kerátiοn: the seeds of the carob tree were used to weigh gold and precious metals because it was believed that the seeds were perfectly uniform in weight.

The display includes a full height graphic of the Bank of England vaults, creating an experience of walking through a gold vault, amongst the 400,000 bars of Gold which lie beneath the building. This is the perfect backdrop for a #GoldVaultSelfie, which can be shared on the Museum’s twitter stream @boemuseum.

Visitors can also take the opportunity to pick up a genuine bar of gold, which is more than 99.5% pure. Weighing an impressive 13kilos, equivalent to 28lb, it may take people by surprise!