From the 15th century onwards, money representation in paintings starts to be frequent, evoked through metallic coins for scenes depicting transactions. In the 20th century, artists do not simply portray traditional money-related themes anymore (places of trade and exchange, societal codes related to money, or derived themes such as gambling or prostitution) ; they begin to reflect more intrusively upon the mechanisms of money, considering that they are immanent to the work of art.

The exhibition thus invites the visitor to walk around the historical rooms of the Hôtel de la Monnaie and through various themes such as "The Christian moral of money", "The financing world", "What does the artist sell?" or "Exhibitionist money".