Selected as one of the “best art books of 2024” by Martin Gayford, The Spectator.

A visual survey featuring a curated chronological selection of 90 artworks from Pop art to now, from the witty and the political to the beautiful and the conceptual. 

From pioneers Andy Warhol, Robert Indiana and Lynn Hershman Leeson to contemporary artists Jeremy Deller, Lubaina Himid, Damien Hirst, Kerry James Marshall, MSCHF, Cornelia Parker, Grayson Perry and many more; a key work by each artist is illustrated and accompanied by a short explanatory text by art historian, David Trigg.

As an inescapable aspect of everyday life, money has appeared in the background of art throughout its history within the context of mythological, biblical and historic scenes – from Danaë and the shower of golden coins, to the 30 pieces of silver for which Judas betrayed Jesus. In the last seventy years however, as consumer culture has spread internationally, many artists have given money the centre stage in their work to reflect on various economic, political, social and symbolic concerns that relate to different currencies and formats. In some of these artworks, physical money – banknotes and coins plus cheques and credit cards – is the actual art material, used by artists to question and subvert notions of value or to examine the aesthetics of these quotidian objects. 

As the world enters an age of decentralised, virtual currencies, artists have been quick to respond to the creative potential of this new economy, from Sarah Meyohas’s creation of her own digital currency, Bitchcoin (2015), to Damien Hirst’s The Currency (2021–22) which offered 10,000 art collectors the choice between owning a physical painting or an NFT – with the corresponding element being destroyed – to explore the boundaries between art and currency, and question ideas of value.

An introductory essay sets the scene with an historical overview of money in art, whisking readers from ancient Greek pots and Renaissance paintings by Titian, Rembrandt and Gentileschi, to Dutch genre scenes, still lifes and early twentieth-century Dada collages, and the book opens with a foreword by Mark Carney, former Governor of the Bank of England and current Prime Minister of Canada.

• 'an exciting look at how global artists engage with this universal subject' – Artlyst
• 'David Trigg’s introduction sets the scene with an historical overview of money in art, from ancient Greek pots and biblically inspired paintings to Dutch genre scenes and early 20th century Dada collages.' – artmag
• 'Instead of shying away from the subject of money, the artists in this book tackle it head on, using their unique perspectives and aesthetics to explore the concept from multiple angles' – Mark Carney
• 'From Titian to Damien Hirst, money, it seems, finds its way into everything.' – Daily Mail
• 'This book is a fascinating look at how money, both literally and in representation, has been used by artists as a satirical tool to draw attention to the relationship of art to money and the poor pay that artists receive.' – FAD Magazine

David Trigg is a Bristol-based writer, critic and art historian. He has written widely on contemporary art for books and major art journals, including Studio International, The Art Newspaper, Art Monthly, ArtReview, Frieze and The Burlington Magazine. He is the author of Reading Art: Art for Book Lovers (Phaidon Press, 2018), named one of the ‘art books of the year’ by The Times, which examines how artists have depicted books as symbols, subjects and objects. His book Spring (Tate Publishing, 2020) explores the season of spring through artworks from Tate’s collection. A selection of his interviews with artists is included in Talking Art 2 (Ridinghouse, 2018).  Mark Carney is a Canadian economist who served as Governor of the Bank of Canada (2008–2013) and the Bank of England (2013–2020). In 2025, he became Canada’s 24th Prime Minister.