A colorful history of coins and currency from their very beginnings.

Money tells the story of coins and paper money from ancient to modern times. The book is an exciting collaboration by curators at the British Museum, home to one of the world's finest numismatic collections. Profusely illustrated with 545 color and archival images, Money traces the use of monetary exchange from a primitive barter system to the online, cashless systems operating today.

Money examines its subject with authority and imagination, covering its history through the ages and across the world:

• Ancient Mesopotamia, Greece and Egypt
• The Roman world
• Medieval Europe
• Islamic lands
• India and Southeast Asia
• China and the Far East
• Africa and Oceania
• The early modern period and the modern period.

Including modern developments, such as the introduction of the Euro and e-money, Money is an up-to-date, lively and thought provoking introduction to the subject. It will be of interest to history buffs, economists, bankers and general readers. The beautiful photographs are a fine resource for collectors.