This 144-page paperback
isn't quite large enough or slick enough to qualify as a coffee-table
book, but it's replete with hundreds of full-color images of gorgeous
banknotes from around the globe. The author provides interesting
anecdotes about why certain people, places, animals, and things
appear on notes, and devotes chapters to national heroes, nudes,
pastimes, crops, birds, and other themes. The main focus is modern
world currency, making the section on U.S. notes uneven and weak.
Still, this book is a must-have for any banknote fan, and will
make non-collectors appreciate world notes as miniature pieces
of art rather than deride them as "Monopoly money."
This book follows the
twisted tale of the trials of J.S.G. Boggs, an artist who creates
fanciful reproductions of world currency--by hand!--and then "spends"
his artwork to buy real things. You'll be amazed at the beauty
of Boggs' bills, laugh at the reactions he encounters as he tries
to convince shop owners to accept his creations in lieu of currency,
and cry at the heavy-handed tactics employed by the Secret Service
and Bank of England to put a stop to his shenanigans. Along the
way you'll learn about the long history of reproducing currency
in fine art, and come to question the very nature of "value" as
it applies to both art and money.
Standard Catalog of
World Paper Money: Specialized Issues Volume I, 10th Edition (Order
from Amazon.com)
More than 50,000 updated
prices for more than 17,500 notes are presented along with more
than 10,000 photos of faces and backs for easy identification.
This 1,200-page softcover provides helpful exchange and translation
information that lets you tour this special world with ease
and
accuracy.
Standard Catalog of World Paper Money:
General Issues Volume II, 11th Edition (Order
from Amazon.com)
Solidify your authority
on world paper money. Albert Pick compiles 19,500+ listings from
230 note-issuing authorities. This 1,248-page softcover is the
only English language reference for pre-1961 international bank
notes.
Standard Catalog of World Paper Money:
Modern Issues 1961-Present Volume III, 12th Edition (Order
from Amazon.com)
This 1,064-page softcover
is the most comprehensive reference for modern world paper money
ever published. The new 12th edition includes current market
values
for more than 12,500 notes in three grades of condition, and
over 10,500 photos and illustrations. More than 380 note-issuing
authorities
are covered including all notes issued from 1961 to present.