Words + Images

brazil: banknote showing freed slaves cooking

I am helping to research a bank note collection, mostly paper money from pre-World War Europe as well as other parts of the world. It is a fascinating project especially after the sometimes heated discussions here in the U.S. regarding the $20 bill and the plan to swap out the visage of Andrew Jackson for that of Harriet Tubman. Whichever $20 bill is held in hand in the future, embedded in that money, in the illustration, will be the story of that exchange. It’s the storytelling aspect that excites me about this bank note collection.  Gathered over many decades, the notes are like tiny time capsules with regard to artistic expression, economics, history and more. The nature of using money certainly continues to evolve (e.g. don’t carry cash at all, just swipe your phone!), but I expect paper money may be around for awhile.  Meanwhile, I’m looking forward to delving into the past and discovering the stories etched in these monies, a few of which are highlighted below.

france: 1940s bank note, image of Pyrenean shepherd

germany: notgeld was emergency money

british armed forces special voucher

u.s. military payment certificate