Visual harmony: music on banknotes

What began almost 100 years ago with an eight-year-old boy purchasing two emergency banknotes has now grown into a stunning collection of banknotes from around the world, the G+D Stiftung Geldscheinsammlung (G+D Foundation Banknote Collection). A recent exhibition at the Museum für Druckkunst Leipzig titled “The World of Music on Banknotes – A Visual Concert” showcased around 50 banknotes from the Foundation’s collection, using music as a unifying theme. 

This was the latest stop on the exhibition’s traveling itinerary, having previously been at G+D’s headquarters in Munich, then in Regensburg and Berlin. “Exploring the history of paper money and its significance as a cultural medium is an integral part of what we do,” explained Kirsten Donie, member of the management board at the G+D Foundation. “We’ve been in the business of printing money since the mid-19th century. Banknotes are more than just a means of payment – they are part of a country’s history and a representation of its culture.”

Bringing these carefully collected cultural tokens from around the world to an audience beyond numismatists and industry insiders is part of the Foundation’s remit. The Foundation selects appropriate objects based on specific themes for its exhibitions, and researches and produces the accompanying information that makes for an enlightening experience. 

Curation is key

Finding themes that resonate with a wider audience and finding the right touchpoints is part of the Foundation’s strategy. “Collectors and other aficionados will come anyway,” laughed Donie. But attracting a larger audience requires thought and planning. 

Music is always going to be something that speaks to everyone. Accordingly, it was isolated as a theme for the most recent exhibition. But what could have been a dry walk through a currency gallery was enlivened by original artwork. Conceived and created by Frankfurt-based photographer and conceptual artist Pete Jones, and Berlin-based artist Heidi Specker, these works of art served to complement the banknotes in the exhibition, piquing interest and deepening the audience’s interaction with – and understanding of – what they were viewing. 

For example: Clara Schumann was featured on the 100–Deutsche Mark note, and Specker took that note and gave it a forensic photographic examination, delving into its patterns and structures. She then printed individual sections in monochrome, making each appear distinct. In this way, the audience was tempted into a world of suggestion and stories that may otherwise not have been visible. 

Indeed, the large-format works by both artists served to bring hitherto unseen things to the viewer’s attention. Pete Jones – he calls himself a “photosophist” – enlarged these notes without altering them, thus exposing their details to the light. With this unique approach, Jones brought the beauty and complexity of these objects to the fore, including their security features, revealing something that may have been hidden otherwise. 

An ongoing series, current themes

This wasn’t a one-off exhibition, stressed Donie: “Previously, we’ve focused on sports on banknotes, and also fashion. We have this incredible archive of more than 350,000 objects. We won’t run out of ideas for exhibitions!” 

The idea is to educate and illuminate a larger audience. Certainly, when it comes to music, the huge collection has plenty to choose from. In fact, a further thematic sub-grouping was required in order to process and make sense of the notes in this exhibition. The objects were divided into five themes:

Classical Music – Europe’s resounding cultural heritage 

Music has long been foundational to the way Europe conceives of its cultural identity, from early church music to baroque and classical to the moderns. Among others, the 19th-century Italian maestro Vincenzo Bellini was on the Italian 5,000-ire note, while Claude Debussy, the French Romantic composer famed for compositions such as “Claire de lune” and “La Mer,” was commemorated on the French 20-franc note in 1990.

Composers as national identity creators 

Just as a banknote is a visual signifier of a nation, so too is its national anthem or song – or a piece of music that is tied inextricably to a sense of national self – an aural marker of national pride. Heitor Villa-Lobos was enormously influential as a musician, composer, and educator in Brazil; he was remembered on the 500-cruzado banknote from 1986. 

In Asia, Wage Rudolf Supratman composed both lyric and melody for what would become the Indonesian national anthem. Though he didn’t live to see the day of his country’s freedom come, he was commemorated on 2000’s 50,000-rupiah note.

Diversity on the international stage 

Global superstars such as Cesária Évora, the queen of the music genre morna, represent both their homelands and its traditions and the community that binds music lovers, no matter where they’re from. The “barefoot diva” is remembered on her homeland Cabo Verde’s 2,000-escudo note from 2014. 

Folklore – living tradition 

Its folklore and traditions have a major role to play as a country grows into a sense of itself. Composers have long mined this rich vein as they went looking for music that would really speak to their audiences’ souls. The Kazakh Kurmangazy Sagyrbayuly was one such composer and artist, who has significantly influenced the music of the region. He is commemorated on the 5-tenge note from 1993.

Musical instruments – sonorous roots 

So far, we’ve been talking about people. But music needs instruments as well, and they’ve been featured in all their glory on banknotes across the world. Azerbaijan marked its musical heritage by putting the tar, kamancheh and daf on the 1-manat note in 2020. These instruments – the tar and kamancheh are string instruments, while the daf is a percussion instrument – constitute the Azerbaijani Mugham trio.

Beyond banknotes

“Exhibiting banknotes isn’t all we do,” noted Donie. The G+D Foundation is proud of its deep grounding in the greater Munich area, and seeks to give back to the community in various ways.

“G+D is an international company. We have a deep commitment to intercultural understanding, and this informs the Foundation’s principles and work as well,” she said. “We especially want to help young people, and ensure that they have the opportunities to develop their personalities and talents regardless of their backgrounds.” From helping preserve cultural heritage to providing a grounding in German to recent migrants, and from innovation workshops aimed at young adults to sporting opportunities for aspiring athletes – the Foundation does its part in nourishing the wider community.
 

Published: 02/06/2026