Kassel's numismatic collection evolved over centuries and was primarily established through the coin collecting activities of the landgraves of Hesse-Kassel. It currently consists of around 15,000 objects dating from ancient times to the 21st century.

Early local heritage conservation efforts, which also led to discoveries of treasure troves including coins, already began under the rule of Landgrave Frederick II in the 18th century. Even all those years ago, it therefore already attracted researchers from far beyond the local region. However, a major part of it was sold in the 1920s – including the entire collection of antique coins. Since then, the numismatic collection has focused on coins minted in Hesse, and on mediaeval coins from Thuringia.

Many of the medals from more recent times that now form part of the collection have only been acquired since the 1960s. The collection has gradually been completely rebuilt since the 1980s, and now also includes coins from antiquity. Part of the numismatic collection forms the permanent exhibition "A Treasure Trove of History" at the Museum of Hessian History; another part is exhibited at Schloss Wilhelmshöhe palace within the scope of the antiquities collection. Around a third of the collection is available to researchers in the Hessen Kassel Heritage online database.