From Booklist
Entries include African money, Assay marks; Assignat; Bryan, William Jennings; Coins and currency in literature; Gold rush; Pieces of eight; and Wizard of Oz. This last entry deals with the symbolism in L. Frank Baum's famous work about the furor over the gold standard that waged from 1880 to the end of the century. Since inscriptions that appear on coins provide some insight on the political, economic, and religious biases of the issuing countries, a respectable 26-page list of inscriptions is provided. Also, the interest in searching out wrecked treasure ships results in a list of shipwrecks from 70 B.C.E. to 1946, indicating the name of the ship and the cargo it was carrying.
The entries are well written for the general reader. The black-and-white photographs are adequate, and most entries have extensive see also references and a list of sources. A time line of coins and currency in history covers 3,500 B.C.E. to 2002. A brief glossary is included as well as a 20-page bibliography. The 27-page index covers in detail all material that is contained in the text. This is not a book for currency collectors who want to identify and price their collections but rather a general encyclopedia of information about the currencies of the world. It is a recommended resource for public and undergraduate libraries. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
Excellent access to persons, events, and topics...Snodgrassâs research is thorough...recommended --Choice
Interesting --Arba --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
