Well here's a little pointless thread that delves into the magic using my @monzo card as an example
The specifications for the chip were published in 1996. The Fugees "Killing Me Softly with His Song", was really popular too
ISO/IEC 7816: Identification Cards –Integrated Circuit(s) Cards
ISO/IEC 14443: Identification Cards –Contactless Integrated Circuit(s)Cards –Proximity Cards
1: Activation (turn it on)
2: Exchange info
3: Deactivation (turn it off)
You can see the coils of wire used to produce electromagnetic waves, which can then be picked up and turned back into current by a another coil of wire. You can also see the bonding wires.