The Art of Money: The History and Design of Paper Currency from Around the World

by David Standish

L'argent. Dinero. Geld. Dough.

Whatever you call it, money makes the world go round. The United States is dispensing its first redesigned bills in decades, and the Euro is on the brink of unifying European notes. It's the perfect time for this visual tour of the world's currencies. The various people, places, animals, and historical events depicted on money reflect how countries see themselves—and how they want the rest of world to see them.

Author David Standish begins with a brief, fascinating history of currency, and then presents a striking gallery of international bills from more than 80 countries that corner the market on visual flair. The cast of characters on these small canvases is vast—from the Little Prince on French currency to the furry denizens of the rainforest of Madagascar to the obscure Salmon P. Chase, Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of State, on the $10,000 US note (did you know that the US Secret Service originated with Lincoln's efforts to curb counterfeiting during the Civil War?).

The Art of Money is an entertaining and lustrous tour of cash for design aficionados, history buffs, travelers, and everybody who handles money (or dreams of handling more).

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, History

132 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2000

Reviews

[Marian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the attention to detail and historical background the most appealing aspect of this book. It was interesting to see how the background patterns and details add to the uniqueness of the currency. It was mostly paper currency pictured, with a short section on coins. Very enjoyable, I recommend it to graphic designers and art lovers everywhere.

[Mike Ncube · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book with some great banknote imagery.

[Alexandria Nanneman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures and two decent essays about the purpose of paper money, but mostly quippy, Wikipedia-esque level of information about a specific design.

[Norm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book. Gorgeous reproductions of bank notes from around the world, enhanced by the author's insightful commentary and quirky sense of humor.

[Nikki Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could have been longer and more detailed!

[Manny Villa]

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[Carmen something · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a world increasingly dominated by meta wealth (credit), this book provides context to the historical and global face of paper money. Who's face belongs on the bills? How are the colors chosen? Do tourists use different money than the locals? All pictures, little text. But facinating.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is some staggeringly beautiful money out there.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful compendium of the world's many currencies! (It makes ours look positively bland.)

[Brendan]

not useful