THE JURY’S TAKE AT LA MONNAIE DE PARIS

“We don’t realise how important paper money is in the world. I think of the children who do the shopping for their families, in Africa, in Asia, in India. And then, as an artist, I feel very connected with the banknote, by the drawing, by the image of the culture of a country which is conveyed by the banknote.“

Philippe Assalit, Plastician Photographer

“…Having a currency is part of our identity as a country. I don’t see a society without cash. Maybe in our western societies, one can imagine completely dematerialised payment methods, but in most countries, especially the ones in recession, cash plays its full role and is necessary to sustain an economy.“

Anne-Sophie Duyon-Chavanne, Former Director Monnaie de Paris

“I know that cash is very threathened, because governments have an interest in controlling spending, as in China, for example. For me, cash is really a value of freedom that we must absolutely stand up for.”

Thierry Bouët, Photographer

A Look Back

In 2019, CashEssentials launched its third photo contest SMALL BILL, BIG THRILL: A little Cash goes a Long Way together with Wipplay where over 1,500 creatively-captured and captioned images were received.

The jury gathered at “La Monnaie de Paris”, the French Mint. There were professional photographers like Thierry Bouët and Philippe Assalit, economic experts like Olena Havrylchyk (professor at La Sorbonne University), Anne Sophie Duroyon-Chavanne (Administrator of “la Monnaie de Paris”) and Guillaume Lepecq (Chair of CashEssentials).”