This book shows the art and stories behind fifty of the most beautiful banknotes ever produced. Called the "French touch." France printed the notes during the 1900s. The author provides full page photos of each note with details of the designer and the meaning behind the designs, with fascinating biographies and details of history and economics. An introductory chapter gives a brief history of paper money, the Mississippi bubble, and paper money during the French Revolution. The remaining seven chapters describe the notes, complete with tables, graphs, glossary and index.
The format, starting on page 24, is a picture of the banknote on the right with a one page story about the note on the left.
The glossary lists Olympian gods, genealogy of gods, other allegories, mythical animals, real women on French banknotes, list of banknote designers, prix de Rome, timeline, and printing techniques.