Tzanck Check, 1919

Image Source

The line between art and seigniorage, creation and currency fascinated Duchamp and was the focus of several minor works -- notably the Monte Carlo bonds and the little-discussed Tzanck Check of 1919 -- as well as major endeavors like the traveling salesman's Box in a Valise and other readymade reproductions. A recent study of art currencies brings these marriages of concept and commerce into a larger historical context.