By Dmitriy Litvak

Summer has a habit of disappearing while we are still making plans for it. The holidays are over, the children and grandchildren have returned to school, and the older ones have departed for their college campuses. Before the next season of festivities begins making demands on our calendars, there is time to return to a few pleasures of our own.

For readers of Numismondo, banknotes are likely to be among them.

Perhaps a neglected research project is waiting on the desk. Perhaps there is a catalogue whose pages have yet to receive the attention they deserve. Or perhaps, after examining dates, signatures, and watermarks, we would simply like to settle into a comfortable chair with a good book.

Collectors, after all, are curious people. We like discovering things—and the most interesting discoveries do not always appear in a catalogue.

A banknote may tell us where it was issued, when, and for how much. It is usually less forthcoming about the ambitions, intrigues, and carefully guarded secrets that brought it into existence. Those require a little investigation. Occasionally, rather more than a little.

That is the territory I explore in my books. History and numismatics belong together, because money has so often been a participant in events rather than merely a means of paying for them. My aim is to tell those stories in a way that welcomes everyone, including readers who have never owned a banknote they did not intend to spend.

In this year marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, my latest book turns to a troubling episode in the history of the American dollar.

For many years, I collected material about a story that began roughly a century ago: the Soviet counterfeiting of American Series 1914 hundred-dollar notes, and Stalin’s role in that undertaking. Despite its extraordinary subject, the episode remains comparatively little known.

There is something peculiarly unsettling about a government secretly manufacturing another country’s money. The finished note must inspire confidence. Its origin must remain invisible. And the better the work, the less reason anyone has to ask questions.

Until someone does.

The book follows the evidence through the people and events behind this operation, bringing the banknotes themselves into the story. For collectors, they offer a particularly revealing point of entry. For other readers, they open a door into a world of political ambition, deception, and secrets that were never meant to become history.

Writing it required years of gathering material and following threads. Reading it requires rather less preparation: a comfortable chair, a little curiosity, and perhaps a cup of coffee—or something stronger, if the hour permits.

The Untold Story of Counterfeit American Dollar. When Stalin Forged His Almighty? is now available on Amazon, in paperback and e-book editions.

I am delighted to introduce it to the Numismondo community, and I hope readers will enjoy discovering this little-known story as much as I have valued the opportunity to tell it.

Abstract

Dmitriy Litvak

Dear Numismondo Readers,

For many years I asked myself a simple question: Why are so many books written for collectors so difficult to read? Eventually, I found the answer. Most are written in the language of academic research—precise, informative, and perfectly suited to catalogs and reference works—but not always in a style that invites the reader to turn the next page.

It is therefore my pleasure to offer, exclusively to the readers of NUMISMONDO, an excerpt from my new book, From Barbeque to Cryptocurrency: The Untold Stories of Money. The chapter presented here, "The Unusual Types of Money," explores one of the most fascinating and unexpected chapters in the story of money.

I have been a devoted admirer of NUMISMONDO since its launch in 1988. In my opinion, it has become one of the world's finest numismatic websites—a place where collectors, researchers, and enthusiasts from around the globe meet to exchange knowledge and discoveries. My sincere appreciation goes to its founder and creator, Garry Saint, Esquire whose vision and dedication have made this remarkable resource possible.

I would also like to share a small secret. One chapter of this book—The Banknote's Secret Alphabet—grew into an entirely new project: a two-volume work devoted exclusively to the hidden security features of modern banknotes. Her Majesty's Secret Alphabet now consists of 310 "letters," illustrated with more than 500 images, revealing a hidden language that millions of people carry in their wallets every day without ever realizing it.

The complete book, From Barbeque to Cryptocurrency: The Untold Stories of Money, together with my other publications, is available on Amazon.

Dmitriy Litvak New York July 2026

NEW RELEASE by Dmitriy Litvak


A Landmark Work on the Hidden History of Money
From Barbeque to Cryptocurrency
From the Vatman to Super Simultan

The Untold Stories of the Money
By Dmitriy Litvak

What is money—an invention, an illusion, a tool of trade, or a ritual of trust?

This extraordinary two-volume publication explores currency not merely as a medium of exchange, but as a story of invention, deception, and belief. Written in an immersive, literary style and grounded in archival precision, Dmitriy Litvak’s The Untold Stories of the Money guides readers through both the myth and machinery behind value.

• Book One: From Barbecue to Crypto Currency traces the philosophical and cultural evolution of money—from early barter systems to the psychological architecture of banknote design.
• Book Two: From the Vatman to Super Simultan takes readers behind the scenes into the production floor—exploring papermaking, printing presses, watermark artistry, and security innovations with forensic clarity.

Over 50% of the work is devoted to a comprehensive set of four appendices, offering material seldom addressed in other numismatic literature:

• The “Paper Chronicles” – a detailed timeline of paper technologies and monetary substrates.
• Unusual Types of Monetary Units – from leather and silk to salt, beer, and beyond.
• The Banknote’s Secret Alphabet –definitions embedded in context, revealing their historical depth and technical nuance.
• His Majesty Ink – a chemical and visual exploration of how pigment protects trust.

This is not a price guide.
This is not a catalogue.
It is a literary and technical exploration into how money is made, believed, and betrayed.

Now available in both e-book and Special Illustrated Edition

AMAZON

Banknote of the Year (2004–2024) Printed Catalog	Banknote of the Year (2020-2024)  Digital Catalog

Great catalog from IBNS friend Serhiy Trushyn...
 

Old friend and prolific author, Dmitriy (Dim) Litvak has stepped a bit out of his normal areas of focus and just published his latest book on Master Counterfeiters!