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Heinrich Holtgreve —
Once We All Agree: Part 1

Immaterial money

In wallets we keep our money: metal coins, paper notes and plastic cards. A photo-historic journey through the money museum in Xanten demonstrates that money has constantly been changing its form/appearance.

Different countries, different customs: Some run around a black ashlar in the scorching sun, others put paper shreds into a wall; yet others erect conifers in their living rooms. Nevertheless, what everybody agrees upon in the 21st century is the function of metal coins, paper notes and plastic cards. Around 2,000 years ago, cowrie shells occupied that role.
Cowrie shells — individually or grouped together with raffia twine or strings — were seen as a method of payment in many parts of the world. These shells are the most famous example of commodity money and were regarded as universal.
Another example of commodity money is salt.
Around 600 B.C., in the empire of Lydian Empire on the territory of present-day Turkey, coins were used for the first time. Today copper slabs are the metallic raw material that coins are made from in large parts of Europe.
What a cover is to a mobile phone, a purse is to a coin. Or, as depicted: a counting board.
The promise of capitalism: Property turns into capital, which turns into wealth.
Nothing is wasted: The leftover from of these punched out 50 Euro cent coins will be melted and used again.
A collector’s value is attributed to coins regardless of current stock exchange and market value. Hence, for collectors — so called numismatists — there are “Coin Revues”.
States come and go, and with them currencies.
The GDR left its mark in many places and on many people. Aluminium residue accumulated while minting the GDR Mark, has made its way into the money museum in Xanten.
Useless value.
The board game “Monopoly” was released in 1933 and initially enjoyed success with leftist intellectuals in the Northeast of the United States in particular. Inventor Elizabeth Magie wanted to impart an understanding of economist Henry George’s thought to society.
In China paper notes were used for the first time around 1000 A.D.
A modern artefact: Acrylic cases filled with banknotes enticed TV game show participants in the 1980s.

Heinrich Holtgreve — Once We All Agree

Heinrich Holtgreve uses his camera to visualise money in all its manifestations. He has travelled throughout Germany, seeking out places where money can be found: banks, museums, printers, tax offices, stock markets, fintech companies and even a Bitcoin mine. The idea of assigning value to things has always been a feat of abstract thinking. Holtgreve tries to retrace its development, from primitive practices to coins and paper money, all the way to electronic money. How has the relationship between immaterial and material value changed money? And, how does this transformation influence our lives? With his project, “Once We All Agree”, Holtgreve wants to provide food for thought regarding our relationship with money.

Heinrich Holtgreve has been part of the OSTKREUZ Agency since 2016 and photographs for renowned editors, publishers and agencies nationally and internationally. He lives and works in Hamburg.

Related series

Heinrich Holtgreve — Once We All Agree: Part 2

Heinrich Holtgreve — Once We All Agree: Part 3

Heinrich Holtgreve — Once We All Agree: Part 4

Heinrich Holtgreve — Once We All Agree: Part 5