Stamps and Coins of the Republic

For a century, San Marino's stamps and coins punched far above the republic's size: collector issues became a serious source of state revenue, and the tiny country's colourful stamps travelled the world's albums. The Museo del Francobollo e della Moneta in Borgo Maggiore tells that story - sheets and proofs from the first 1877 issues onward, the lira-era coinage struck under agreement with Italy, and the republic's own euro coins, which it mints today by arrangement with the EU despite not being a member. Philatelists make pilgrimages; everyone else gets an unexpectedly good lesson in how microstates pay their bills.

What you actually see

• The stamp collections - issues from 1877 to today's collector sheets.
• Lira and euro coinage - the republic's minting history and current euros.
• The philatelic bureau - buying current issues at source.
• Borgo Maggiore market square - the lower town around the museum.

When to go

Year round and indoors - a natural pairing with the funicular ride between Borgo Maggiore and the old town above. Quietest in the morning before day-trip coaches arrive on the mountain.

Honest expectations

This is a specialist pleasure: an hour for the curious, longer only for collectors. San Marino euro coins in circulation are scarce and the collector sets at the bureau are priced as collectibles. The museum's siting in Borgo Maggiore means most tower-focused visitors miss it entirely, which keeps it pleasantly quiet.

Nearby

The funicular to the old town, Borgo Maggiore's market and the three towers above.