Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #254212 in Books
• Published on: 1995-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Customer Reviews

An excellent, handy one volume guide to ancient numismatics
When I first started the hobby of collecting ancient coins I asked several dealers if there was one book I could get that was both inexpensive and broad. Klawans "Handbook of Ancient Greek and Roman Coins" was the repeated answer.

The book is essentially divided into a part "A" and a part "B", 'A' being Greek and 'B' being Roman Imperial. Very little attention is given to Republican Rome and Byzantine Rome but that is forgivible considering all the other helps.

I got the book, read it cover to cover and still refer to it now even though I have added many ancient coin collecting books to my library since that are more specialized. Klawans' book has many helpful sections on various topics such as on how to read and break down those Roman titles and inscriptions. There is a chronological guide to the Roman emperors and their families, reverses of gods and 'personifications' and other mythological & religious data. The book is copiously illustrated throughout. There is an illustrated guide of coins by city. There are even an ancient rulers guide included ( but with some notable cultures missing ) in it.

If you are just getting started with collecting ancient Greek and/or Roman Imperial coins on a shoestring, this is your guide, but, one word of caution, if you are buying uncleaned bulk Roman coins and need an attribution guide this is not the book, this book deals with pre-Constantinian Roman coins. However if you are buying cheap greek bronzes and budget Roman denarii, antoninianii, sestertii, etc., THIS IS THE BOOK TO GET !

You get what you pay for
For under $20.00, it's hard to imagine a better book on Greek and Roman coins. However, don't expect this book to be the one leg that you stand on as you enter the world of Roman or Greek coins. It's a good intro, and it has quite a few picts, but the broad nature of the book prevents it from covering in detail a period of history that you might be interested in (in just a few hundred pages).

I'm not trying to say this is a bad book. If you want a cheap, brief overview of BOTH Greek and Roman coins, you'll want this book. It's worth every penny that you'll pay for it. However, it will not pinch-hit for the more detailed (and more expensive) Greek or Roman reference books. Don't have unrealistic expectations when buying this.

Invaluable, inexpensive guide
This book is an excellent, inexpensive guide to Greek and Roman coins. If you are new to collecting Roman and Greek coins than this book is ideal for you. It doesn't cover everything, but it has enough to start with and can be a useful quick reference guide.