BATON ROUGE – Secretary of State Tom Schedler said the “Coin of the Realm: The History of Finance in Louisiana” exhibit will open Saturday, April 7 at Louisiana’s Old State Capitol.

The exhibit features one-of-a-kind coins and currency reflecting the forces that shaped Louisiana—French and Spanish rule, the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Sponsored by the Louisiana Bicentennial Commission, this exhibit traces the development of money and the financial system from the earliest settlers trading pelts to the establishment of a mint in New Orleans in 1838.

In addition, the display features Spanish Reales or “pieces of eight,” French coins from the 1700s, plantation tokens, Confederate notes and currency issued by individual banks.

One of the rarest pieces in the exhibit is a unique 1844-O $10 gold piece, likely the most valuable coin struck at the New Orleans Mint.

The exhibit will be on display Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through June 16. For more information, visit www.sos.la.gov/osc, www.louisianaoldstatecapitol.org or call 225.342.0500.