Art and Money

The images on coins and banknotes reflect the culture and tastes of the day, but is money an artistic medium? Lots of artists design coins and paper money.  There are pieces in the Museum that clearly illustrate the various trends and styles, from the portraits of antiquity to Renaissance and Baroque themes – from the Byzantine to Contemporary expression.  

Dies, printing materials, moulds, machines, maquettes, and trial drawings show many phases  and processes in the manufacture of money, from the Mediaeval workshop for hammering coins to offset printing on an industrial scale.