In 2026, Monnaie de Paris opened the doors of its workshops and gave carte blanche to an artist to create a series of collector coins. For this first edition of the “Artistic Collaboration” series, French illustrator and academician Catherine Meur...
In 2026, Monnaie de Paris opened the doors of its workshops and gave carte blanche to an artist to create a series of collector coins. For this first edition of the “Artistic Collaboration” series, French illustrator and academician Catherine Meurisse kicked things off by drawing her vision of the history of the Monnaie.
Born in Niort in 1980, Catherine Meurisse joined the editorial staff of Charlie Hebdo in 2005 after training at the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs. Having narrowly escaped the attacks of January 2015, she made a lasting impression with more personal works such as La Légèreté, in which she explores her reconstruction through art. Her elegant and sensitive style has earned her numerous awards and recognition, culminating in her becoming the first comic book author to be elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 2020.
Inspired by the forces of the earth and the origins of currency, metals blend with rock in a wild and dreamlike landscape. Like the imprint of an ammonite fossil, the coin takes the form of a matrix, a trace like an unalterable record passed down from generation to generation.
The Collection
In 2026, Monnaie de Paris is opening the doors of its workshops for a one-off event and giving an artist carte blanche to create a series of collection coins. For this first edition of ‘Artistic Collaboration’, the illustrator and member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, Catherine Meurisse, is launching the series with her illustrated interpretation of the history of currency.
This collaboration gave me the opportunity to immerse myself once again in Catherine Meurisse’s dreamlike world. A brilliant and deeply inspired illustrator, this genuine artistic collaboration has added a new dimension to Catherine’s clean lines. The contours are expressed through metal, as the meeting point of two distinct crafts.
Engraver word
Our craftman
THE ENGRAVER
Trained at the best schools, they have the years of experience behind them necessary to master all aspects of the craft. Using industrial oil-based modelling clay and working from a design executed freehand or with CAD software, they skilfully fashion a low relief model in order to enhance the engraving and the way it catches the light. They work alternately with concave and convex plaster moulds until satisfied they have achieved the best 3D rendering of the design.
THE MINTER
The first minters began to ply their trade in France when striking with a hammer appeared in the 4th century BC. Nowdays, minsters use press instead of a hammer. Their knowledge of dies, engraving and metals, and their expertise - passed seamlessly down from one generation to the next for centuries - guarantees the excellence of their work.
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... YIKES!
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