If you are curious about cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, then a new traveling exhibit opening at the Galt Museum will tell you everything you want to know and more.

“De-coding E-money” opens at the The Galt Museum on Saturday, Sept. 22 and runs until Jan. 6.

The interactive, bilingual exhibit on loan from the Bank of Canada Museum features several interactive exhibits. One shows the path different types money (including cash, cheques, credit cards, debit cards and bitcoin) takes from your pocket to the merchant.

Another shows the history of different forms of money including early band notes, bank drafts, coins and even a wooden strip used during the heyday of the fur trade. There is a quiz of your knowledge of money and another exhibit dedicated to cryptocurrency, featuring a video game  involving spotting the cryptocurrency.

There is also an interactive display about the history of different forms of payment through the years.

“ We’re really excited about this exhibit and all of the interactive displays,” said Galt Museum marketing and communications officer Graham Ruttan.
“I’m impressed with it. We’re privileged to be able to bring it here,” he continued.

“It was created by the Bank of Canada and deals with the history of different payment methods over the past 200 years, right up to  digital currency and the future,” summarized curator Aimee Benoit.

“There are a lot of colourful displays to engage people about what  digital currencies mean,” she said.

“Travelling exhibits like this one allow us to address topics we don’t have all the expertise to address on our own,” she said adding she learned a lot from the exhibit.

“ My favourite part of it is these old coins,”Benoit said, indicating one of  the displays including a doubloon, Gold Eagles, assorted bank notes and bank drafts, and foreign currency that was accepted in Canada’s early days, and even a replica of a Hudson’s Bay Tail Stick, which fur traders used to  give to First Nations in exchange for beaver hides, which they would in turn in in exchange for goods at the Hudson’s Bay fur trading forts.

An accompanying book gives additional details on the different kinds of currency.

After exploring all of they exhibits and videos, you can take a quiz about money. Up to four people can play simultaneously.