Matthew Boulton and the Art of Making Money

This publication accompanies an exhibition in the Barber Institute Coin Gallery, exploring the historical significance of Matthew Boulton's minting activities in Birmingham between 1787 and 1809. The text explains how and why, in quantitative terms, Birmingham briefly became the 'art capital of the world', the place where over 500 million high quality coins, medals, and tokens were manufactured before being distributed around the world. The exhibition and exhibition publication show how Matthew Boulton, his steam driven mint, and his team of local and European workers became key global players in an image making revolution that made 'art' accessible to all and oiled the wheels of modern wage economies.