I have a complicated relationship with Ukraine, because right there on one of their bills they honor a man who killed many of my ancestors.
Category: The World in Currency
100 Hong Kong Dollars and the History and Future of Hong Kong
Modern Hong Kong was born of a drug-induced marriage between two parents who quickly divorced for truly irreconcilable differences, and her story, represented in this bill, reflects perhaps the world’s most important clash of ideas: central control versus individual freedom.
100 Dirham in Morocco and the Surprising Result of Bribing a Policeman
“The police shouldn’t ask you for money,” my Moroccan guide answered. But the real surprise was what he said next.
5,000 Colones in Costa Rica
What could represent Costa Rica better than the white-faced capuchin monkey that adorns the 5,000-colónes note? The bill even teaches a little, listing both the Spanish and Latin names for the animal. The other elements in the scene, a red mangrove and a marine crab, get similar treatment. And as on other bills, the menagerie…
