BOOK REVIEW: THE VALUE OF MONEY

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V18 2015 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 18, Number 46, November 15, 2015, Article 6

The Smithsonian has published a book to accompany the new exhibit, "The Value of Money" at the National Museum of American History. I wrote the following short review on Amazon:

This slim volume is the companion to the new permanent money exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. With approximately one and a half million objects, the national numismatic collection is a vast treasure trove that belongs to the American people, but only a small selection of the most celebrated, representative, exotic or dramatic items are accessible on public display.

The book is organized in five thematic sections: Origins of Money, Innovations of Money, Messages of Money, Artistry of Money and Allure of Money. The author is the new curator of the collection and she has brought fresh enthusiasm, meticulous scholarship, and a new openness to an institution that has a reputation for stodginess.

While this book will be of value to collectors and professional numismatists it also has much to offer readers with an interest in social, cultural and economic history. Richly illustrated in color, and well-indexed, with a brief but useful bibliography.

The Value of Money celebrates the power of using monetary objects to explore history. This richly illustrated book features over 175 objects from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History’s National Numismatic Collection. With objects from every inhabited continent, spanning more than 2,600 years, this book showcases the National Numismatic Collection’s unique strengths, including the geographic and chronological diversity of the collection and the stunning rarities it contains. The companion volume to a major exhibition of the same name, this book examines the origins of money, new monetary technologies, the political and cultural messages money conveys, numismatic art and design, and the practice of collecting money. The Value of Money connects American history to global histories of exchange, cultural interaction and expression, political change, and innovation.

Author: Ellen R. Feingold
Hardcover: 172 pages
Publisher: Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press (October 13, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 193562380X
ISBN-13: 978-1935623809
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 0.6 x 10.3 inches

For more information, or to purchase on Amazon, see:
The Value of Money (www.amazon.com/The-Value-Money-Ellen-Feingold/dp/193562380X)