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Home » Culture and Criticism

It’s just a bill…

Submitted by on August 11, 2009 – 3:29 PM14 Comments

My piece for Monkey See on The Art of Making Money: The Story of a Master Counterfeiter, and the frustrations of being a currency nerd.   The short version: it’s a good book; I spend too much time inspecting my change.

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14 Comments »

  • Fay says:

    Currency nerd-dom! Awesome. I dabble in it some. The only cool thing I’ve ever had happen was, back when Atlanta had the Olympics, there was a suburban county (Cobb County) whose Commission made a “resolution” condeming the “gay lifestyle” or some bullshit. So there was an “Olympics Out Of Cobb” movement, and people also started stamping currency with a big “GAY MONEY” stamp. And I loved it when I’d see those bills. :)

  • Pamela says:

    I just have to tell you that I love the word “dorknip.”

  • Barb says:

    How did the facebook comments on the review turn into a debate on whether money is good or not? Weird.

  • tulip says:

    I just love your writing. Now I’m actively looking for star bills. :)

  • cayenne says:

    Does currency nerddom include those of us who keep a drawer full of commemorative quarters & other schmancy coins from the US and Canada, instead of, say, spending them? It would be nice to have this tendency qualified.

  • Sarah D. Bunting says:

    @cayenne: I think that’s just “collecting.” Or “being my dad.” Hee.

    @Barb: And a debate on whether a quotation is correct? I don’t know.

  • Grace says:

    How’s this for currency arcana: before FDR nationalized the production of US currency, regional banks issued bank notes. i.e., the First National Bank of Detroit issued its own $20 bills, as did every other “national” bank. My grandfather was the secretary of one such bank, and my family has old currency (circa 1905 – 1920) with his signature on it. I had the weird pleasure of correcting an eBay listing for an old $20 bill that had misspelled my grandfather’s name in the description of the note.

  • ChrEliz says:

    Sars, speaking of Facebook, do you have a Tomato Nation (‘become a fan’) page on FB? I don’t know you in real life so I’m not going to ask you to be my FB friend (although I’d be glad if I did know you in real life and would be glad to be your friend, FB or 3D, you seem like someone I’d love to hang out with!). But I would love to be a TN fan on FB if there is such a thing. I did a cursory search but didn’t immediately find it.

  • Sarah D. Bunting says:

    @Grace: That is cool!

    @ChrEliz: Not at the moment, but maybe one of these days. (And thanks!)

  • La BellaDonna says:

    I don’t remember what movie I saw on the Land O’TeeVee; it was a while ago, and the lead was a little boy who had somehow gone back in time to the 20’s or thereabouts. He stopped at a newsstand to buy some candy, and was thrilled at what a couple of dollars would buy. When he left the stand, the owner looked at his (1980s?) money, and realized it was totally wrong. I thought that was a fabulous touch.

  • Margaret in CO says:

    I always love how you wrap up a column or a story. Nice one.

    Have you heard of J.S.G. Boggs http://tinyurl.com/this-artist-guy ?
    Pretty cool.

  • Emerson says:

    Like the other commenters, I would read this book.

  • Carolyn in CT says:

    Ah, one of my favorite Girl’s Bike Club exchanges:

    Sarah: Oh, no! The ten is my favorite bill!

    Wing Chun: You don’t really have a favorite bill.

    Sarah: Well, but the ten is cool. Tens are always nice and crisp, and when you pay for something with a ten, you don’t get a wad of change, you just get a little. The best ATMs are the ones that give out tens. Tens are handy, I don’t know.

    Wing Chun: Okay.

    Sarah: Shut up.

  • Clairezilla says:

    OMG! I, too, am a wheresgeorge.com fanatic.

    I also (ahem) have a cardboard commemorative state quarters album that I bought at a toy store.

    And second the FB love! I would sign up as a fan of TomatoNation.com (other public figure) in a heartbeat!

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