KEOKUK — The coins and paper currency spread along the display tables at the River City Mall Saturday came in all shapes and sizes.

Double-sized dollar bills from the 1920s required a double-take just to make sure they were real, and brightly colored paper money originating in every country from Japan to Brazil looked like Monopoly bills to the untrained eye.

But all the money at the Keokuk Coin Club and Hobby Show had one thing in common. Every red (and non-red) cent is a piece of history. “It’s a piece of history you can hold in your hands,” said Keokuk Coin Club member Keith Bruns.

Bruns’ most prized piece of money is a $3 bill from 1857 that was issued by the city of Keokuk. Unlike the predictable designs of modern money, the art on the back showcases a couple of men, one on a horse, overlooking a river. Read Full Story