Overview

"An A-Z of countries and their unusual banknotes, ""Minted"" tells the stories of these nation's notes and the lesser known people and places depicted on them. With an introduction to currency and its origins in 7th century China, colour reproductions of notes and 'did you know' type facts running throughout, this is a fascinating insight into banknotes, famous faces and the whole history of legal tender. This monetary miscellany will introduce you to the evolution of the English bank note and the stories behind the famous faces. It is full of fiscal facts including how until 1855 the Bank of England's cashiers had to individually sign each note and how up until 1931 you could still have demanded gold in exchange for your note. Lesser known currencies; the currency of the Faroe Islands, the unusual Faroese krona, which have their own motifs, but are actually legal tender of the Danish national bank. The history of the U.S dollar. Colour reproductions of unusual notes and the stories behind their presidential figures and state buildings. Find out why the word 'dollar' is derived from a small mining town in northwest Bohemia and the numerous slang terms for it that have developed through the ages. 'Did you know ?': For example, the smallest banknote in the world was the Ivory Coast 0.10 Franc issued in 1920 which was the size of a postage stamp. This title includes stories of famous forgeries and money launderers. Find out why the 500 Euro note had to be withdrawn and how during World War II 'Operation Bernhard' threatened to ruin the British economy."

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9781845250478

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Jonny Acton is a trivia buff and an expert on the obscure. His previous books include Origin of Everyday Things and The Ideas Companion (both Think Books). He lives in London.

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