MONEY AS ART

Paper money. Sometimes dirty and crumpled, sometimes clean and crisp, these pieces of paper (which are used less and less with the increasing use of credit and debit cards) actually incorporate interesting art and typography on them. Yes, graphic design. I'm intrigued by the history. I hadn't really considered before the fact that money (bank notes) have been a very important form visual communication for two centuries, and really is an art form in itself! It's something we just take for granted because it's ubiquitous.

The first three images are from an exhibit in Princeton that demonstrated how "an effort to thwart currency counterfeiters in America's Colonial period spawned an outlet for creative expression that remains vibrant to this day: money as art." http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S29/25/25E44/


This bank note, from 1829, is a beautiful piece of art. I have never thought about who actually creates the images that appear on money. As it says below, American painter Asher B. Durand was a major figure in bank note art in the U.S. in the 1800s. The layout is somewhat awkward to me, but the contrasting typestyles are interesting, and all of the important elements are clearly visible.

Older still is the shilling note from 1763. It shows how illustration was put on Colonial currency to prevent counterfeiting and also to be beautiful aesthetically. Again, the contrasting typestyles are apparent, and also the decoration is quite ornate. 

From the same exhibit, this is an example of European paper currency from Czechoslovakia (1929), and guess who designed it? Poster designer, Aphonse Mucha! It's absolutely gorgeous and typifies the art nouveau style with its organic, symmetrical, ornately decorative motifs and design elements filling up every possible space (even the female form in profile). It's so fun to look at money from other countries. I used to have a collection of coins and bills from different parts of the world that my dad would bring back when he traveled. I don't know what happened to it, but I used to enjoy just looking at it, touching it.

OK, so finishing up with some humor: I came across a website called Geek Tyrant http://geektyrant.com/news/2011/6/7/must-see-pop-culture-money-art.html which has a page dedicated to pop culture money art, such as this five dollar Spock bill! At the bottom is says BOWL HAIRCUT. Check out the site for a few laughs if you like this one. I got a kick out of it. :)

Next time you look at money up close, just check out the details, the fonts, the artwork, the design. I'm a little cash-poor at the moment, but next time I have a bill in my hand, I'll examine it more closely!