Potosí was the chief city of South America in Spanish times. But few people know about it. One of the best museums in Bolivia, the Mint, which is often called the "American Escorial", will tell you more about its importance in the life and history of the country. There is a lot to see here - ethnography, paintings, Indian mummies from burials, and, of course, numismatics. The mint itself appeared in Potosí in 1773, before which it had a predecessor. The building occupies a whole block and is located near the 10th of November Square in the very centre of the city. In the museum you will see a unique collection of coins. Here you can see ancient coins of all centuries and the machines that made them. The exposition of the mint is extremely diverse. Minerals, originals of world-famous painters, weapons, precious jewellery and antique cutlery. And next door, under glass, a few mummies. To finally capture the imagination of the tourist. The symbol of the Mint, and later of the city of Potosí itself, was the Mask of Mascaron. The image of an obscure deity or man appeared in the court in 1865. And to this day no one knows who this Maskaron is. Versions were many: called the deities of different peoples, prominent Indians and famous colonisers of those times. According to one of the assumptions, an unknown master so humanised the appearance of the money itself.
