Show Me The Money! by Fred L. Reed (2005, Hardcover)

Movie money or prop money has always been something of a fascination for me ever since I saw the 1953 Gregory Peck film THE MILLION POUND NOTE.

Money often plays as important a role in major motion pictures and even Hollywood has to think twice about burning, blowing up, and otherwise destroying real spendable cash. In over a hundred years of cinema, thousands of types of movie money have been created. Screen bills or note range from very close facsimiles of real currency to complete fantasies from fictitious countries.

In SHOW ME THE MONEY, Gene Reed catalogs the vast majority of on screen currency used in English language films. His work is massive and comprehensive but it isn't cheap at the US $75 cover price. It is also not without faults. The experienced collector will quickly notice a few bills and types that were missed as well some that were created for the collector market and never used on the screen. The lack of interior color illustrations is a bit of a disappointment especially given the cover price. Inclusion of more examples from foreign studios, Germany's UFA in particular, would have been welcome.

Overall, however, the work is excellent and an absolute must for even the casual collector of motion picture money.