The Semiotics of Banknotes and Coins

A fascinating and insightful exploration of the hidden meanings embedded in currency design. Sebastián Moreno masterfully unveils the semiotic layers that shape our perception of money, culture, and national identity. A must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of art, national history, and finance. * Kristian Bankov, Professor, New Bulgarian University, Bulgaria * With all the potential confusion people encounter over finance, it is a pleasure to read such a pellucid analysis of money’s material tokens. Moreno’s semiotic investigation of banknotes and coins is exemplary in its clarity, convincingly showing how the often unconsidered items of quotidian economic exchange are bound up with issues of nationhood, heritage, memory and culture. The volume should be read by anyone who ever uses currency. * Paul Cobley, Emeritus Professor in Language and Media, Middlesex University, UK * In addition to money serving as the language of commerce, Barreneche shows how throughout history the iconography of coin and paper money has played an important role in shaping our collective conceptualization of culture, politics, and society. In impressive detail, he vividly explains the meaning of the symbols decorating monies from across the globe. This is a fascinating, illuminating, and sometimes surprising book. * Carl Wennerlind , Professor of History, Columbia University, US * This book is a challenging and amusing reading of a surprising object: banknotes and coins reveal in the subtle semiotic analysis of the author a complex world of sense, that can show us unexpected sides of a culture, proving to be a valuable source for its future memory. * Patrizia Violi, Professor of Semiotics, University of Bologna, Italy *