The Government Museum, Chennai has a rich collection of the ancient, mediaeval and modern Indian coins, gold, silver, copper, lead, potin and billion. Besides these there is a representative collection of foreign coinage.

       The Museum had, up to 1865 AD, only a very small collection of coins in its cabinet. Under the Treasure Trove Act all finds unearthed anywhere in the state are sent to this Museum by the Revenue authorities for examination and if it is decided that they are worth acquiring, they are acquired by the Government for the Museum. But treasure trove hoards are not the only source through which coins are received here. Most of the North Indian coins are donated by North Indian Museums and institutions such as the Prince of Wales Museum, Bombay, the Asiatic Society, Nagpur, the U.P. Coin Committee, Indian Museum, Calcutta and so on.

       In the year 1976 AD, on the first floor of the Bronze Gallery, the Numismatics section has started a gallery of its own. It is not possible to exhibit the coins in original to the public on grounds of safety. Therefore plaster cast impression of the coins are prepared and exhibited in the gallery.

       There are at present two hundred and fifty medals in the section, a majority of which are exhibition medals, of very little interest. The rare pieces are the Mysore medals. The plaster cast of these medals are kept in the gallery with photographs. The collection includes a facsimile of the Great Charter of England, the Magna Carta of 1215 AD believed to be the only copy in India. It is displayed in the gallery.

       The Government Museum, Chennai has the unique privilege of organising the first Philatelic Gallery in any Museum in India. The gallery has been organised in 1964 AD to present the evolution and development of postage stamps in the world. Stamps of all countries of the world beginning with the inception of the modern Postal System are displayed here.