The monetary histories of the United States and Mexico have been entwined from the start. By highlighting key personalities and simplifying the complex global history of hard cash, Seijas and Frederick demonstrate why ready money mattered so much for these fledgling, ex-colonial nations even as their paths diverged. Many readers will be surprised to discover who depended on whom for silver currency, and for how long. Spanish Dollars and Sister Republics is transnational history at its best. -- Kris Lane, Tulane University Seijas and Frederick have written an important book about a largely ignored subject that's nevertheless fundamental to US, Mexican, and borderlands histories: money. The currencies of both countries had their roots in Spanish tradition, and when it came to creating symbols representative of freedom, finding enough specie for coins, or negotiating the terms of credit and debt, the early United States and Mexico faced financial challenges that were more similar than different. Their focus on shared histories is refreshing given today's rhetoric of difference and division. -- Geraldo Cadava, Northwestern University