Currency as Culture: Antalya Hosts a Conversation on Identity and Design

While monetary policy often dominates headlines, currency tells quieter stories—of nationhood, belonging, and the values a society chooses to display. The Global Currency Forum 2026 leans into this cultural dimension, offering a dedicated track on design, symbolism, and the politics of representation.

Delegates will hear from artists, engravers, and security-feature innovators whose work bridges craft and technology. Together, they will explore how design choices can strengthen public trust, foster recognition, and protect against counterfeiting in an increasingly borderless financial world.

One thread running through the sessions is the tension between global pressures and local identity. As digital payments expand and cross-national platforms gain dominance, the distinctiveness embedded in physical currency becomes more—not less—important. The Forum positions banknote and coin design as a form of soft power, carrying a nation’s narrative into millions of daily transactions.

Case studies from Africa, Latin America, and Europe will trace how countries use currency to honour heritage, commemorate social change, or reinforce unity during political transitions. Meanwhile, technology sessions will examine how new security features can coexist with aesthetic ambition without overwhelming the artistry.

Antalya’s setting—where empires once met and traded—offers a fitting backdrop. The Forum’s cultural programme reminds visitors that currency is not simply a medium of exchange but a public canvas, shaped by history and contested meanings. In 2026, that conversation feels especially alive.