The Wall Street Journal
Funny Money: A Collection of Mangled Currency
March 27, 2015
Website
Author: Alexandra Wolfe

Read Article Online

View Referenced Art Work

Funny Money: A Collection of Mangled Currency

A new book, ‘Keep the Change,’ showcases a collection of mangled currency

Sometimes, a pretty penny is overrated. In a new book, “Keep the Change,” author and collector Harley Spiller showcases some of the mangled money he has amassed over the past 50 years. While most collectors look for unblemished coins and notes straight from the mint, Mr. Spiller prefers worn, pitted and corroded currency because of the stories that each piece tells. The book is illustrated with 48 images from his collection, from oxidized pennies to misprinted bills to currency altered by artists. He also relates some curious facts about money—for example, how coins were notched in particular places for use by escaped slaves as bona fides on the Underground Railroad and how pennies can be used to repel slugs. “You get your bright shiny penny, and I get mine, and they’re pretty much the same thing,” says Mr. Spiller. With used currency, by contrast, “The human footprint on where they’ve been and how they’ve been treated is like a mystery novel.”