Eyewitness: Money (Hardcover)

by Joe Cribb (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
...a mini museum between the covers of a book. [Eyewitness series] -- The New York Times

These books' striking visual impact will draw in even the most casual readers. [Eyewitness series] -- School Library Journal

Product Description
Discover the fascinating story of money -- from silver ingots to modern credit cards.

Here is an original and exciting look at the diverse world of money. Stunning real-life photography of Egyptian silver, Chinese hole money, Spanish gold, and siege money -- as well as today's international currencies -- offers a unique "eyewitness" view of money. See the salt money of Ethiopia, what the earliest coins looked like, forged coins and banknotes and what one million dollars looks like. Learn how coins and banknotes are made, why German children used bundles of money as building blocks and why Ancient Greeks put coins in the mouths of dead people. Discover the history of your country's money, where the first paper money was issued and how to detect forged coins. And much, much more!

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: DK CHILDREN; 1st edition (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789458225
• ISBN-13: 978-0789458223
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #671,783 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ooo, Heart-Shaped Money, October 21, 2005

By	Rebecca Johnson "SeasonedwithLove.com" (Washington State) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

This review is from: Money (DK Eyewitness Books) (Hardcover)

"The earliest reports of payments with cowrie shells were from China about 3,500 years ago."

The first thing I noticed on the first page was the heart-shaped English brass halfpenny token from 1665. I've seen a lot of coins, but had no idea that they could be in so many shapes. From the Ancient Chinese bronze hoe-shaped coin of the 6th century to the square Indian gold mohur of the 17th century, there is a coin for every taste and collection.

There is information on funny money, the first coins, paper money, how coins are made, how banknotes are made, forgery and fakes, money and trade, money in war, power, shared currencies, checks and plastic and coin collections. The countries features include ancient cultures, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan and African countries.

"The name for a piggy bank comes from pygg, a type of clay used in Middle Ages to make pots for money and other thing. The idea to make banks in the shape of pigs probably came from the similarity of the words."

If we could still pay with shells, many of us would probably spend a lot more time at the beach. Some of the most fascinating "money" in this book includes red feathers glued together and tied onto vegetable-fiber coils. Writing a check on a cow? That has to
be the strangest thing I've heard about money.

This book has the most bizarre tales about money and also has a special section on coin collecting, how to store them and why you should note store them in a plastic envelope.

Other features:

Timeline of Banking
Glossary with Pictures

It is truly amazing how humans went from stone money to transferring money directly into our checking accounts. This book reminded me of visiting a place in Africa where a man told me if I could lift a gold bar with one hand I could have the gold. I did try. There is a picture of the Federal Reserve Bank in New York where one-third of all the monetary gold in the world is found in special cages.

"When one country sells gold to another, it is moved between the cages by workers wearing shoe covers to protect their feet from dropped bricks."

The most fun you will ever have reading about money.

~The Rebecca Review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great photos, interesting book, January 29, 2001

By	yarden "yarden" (portland, or) - See all my reviews

DK eyewitness books are some of the greatest non-fiction books around. The distinctive white background and high-quality photography gives this book an edge over any other nonfiction picture book. And -- these pictures are real! They're beautiful photos of all things related to money, accompanied by informative captions and text.

This book isn't the strongest in the series, but it is interesting, and the museum-quality pictures will have the reader involved to the end.

5.0 out of 5 stars Grandson's birthday, October 14, 2008

By	C. Alt (New Mexico) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Money (DK Eyewitness Books) (Hardcover)

My grandson requested this book and another DK Eyewitness book, DOGS, for his 9th birthday. He LOVES them both!