Book Log 2011 #39: Moneymakers by Ben Tarnoff


Three American counterfieters are profiled here, detailing their work profiting (and in at least one case, displaying patriotism) in making funny money.  While the stories are well told, there's at least as much about the history of American paper money here, with the counterfieters serving as a backdrop for the move from Continental bank notes to the federally-backed notes that became what we use today.

The actual stories about the counterfieters improve as the book moves along - in no small part due to the increase in documentation about their lives and crimes - while the writing about currency in general is even throughout. Worth a read if you're interested in US money, history, or the history of US money.