All it takes is a "cling." The sharp sound of a coin dropping.

For two centuries, comics have been making that sound resonate with insolence. From Tintin to Scrooge McDuck, from Asterix to the Freak Brothers, from Lucky Luke to Largo Winch, the heroes of the ninth art have always maintained an ambiguous relationship with money: desired, mocked, coveted, embezzled. Gold bars overflowing from vaults, banknotes hidden in linings, gold rushes, smoky casinos, counterfeit money, invisible speculation… Comics have transformed economics into a playground for adventure, a social satire, a moral drama.

In the heart of its historic halls, the Monnaie de Paris (Paris Mint) unfolds across 650 m² this irresistible dialogue between bubbles and banknotes. There, one encounters Scrooge McDuck diving into his money bin as if into a golden pool, the Daltons dreaming of loot that eludes them, Gaston Lagaffe unwittingly sabotaging the logic of productivity, Batman financing his nocturnal crusade with his family fortune. Behind each character, a question: what is the value of money? And above all, what is its value in the face of power, freedom, and desire?

Comics have taught children what a piggy bank is, they have ridiculed speculators, they have depicted the mirages of capitalism and dreams of quick riches. They have also shown the marginalized individuals who tinker outside the system, the forgers who defy authority, the adventurers who seek the horizon more than gold.

From the first American comic strips of the early 20th century to contemporary manga, from Franco-Belgian comics to underground comics, the exhibition reveals a rich and varied journey, punctuated by original artwork, rare editions, film excerpts, and new works commissioned from contemporary artists. The past engages in a dialogue with the present. Gold shines. Then it cracks. In this place that has been minting coins since 864, the contrast is striking. Here, value is created.

There, it is designed, caricatured, and challenged in a delightful dialogue between heritage and pop culture.

MONNAIE DE PARIS
From April 10 to September 6, 2026
11 quai de Conti, 75006 - Metro: Pont Neuf (Line 7)
Tue. to Sun. 11am-6pm, Wed. until 9pm
Closed on Mon. - Admission: €10
Free for under 26s