FORVM`s Classical Numismatics Discussion Board

Numism => Help For the New Ancient Coin Collector => Topic started by: Lucas H on February 21, 2011, 10:42:35 am

Title: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Lucas H on February 21, 2011, 10:42:35 am
I've seen the axiom "buy the book before the coin" several places for the new collector.  Of course, I had to ignore this advice and buy some coins before buying any books.  After my initial enthusiasm over the past few weeks, my wife has put me on a strict budget moving forward.  I've decided I should use some of my budget for books at this point.

Thus far, I think my interests are biblically related coins, early Roman Empire, and the Flavians.  So far, I've got Hendin's Guide to Biblical Coins, and I've read that.  On Hendin's recommendation, I've purchased Sayles' first book, and I'm reading that now.  What are some recommendations for my next book purchase?  Remember, I'm very new to this, so I'm looking for good overviews and general information as opposed to the more technical books at this point.  Any recommendations are greatly appreciated.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Danny S. Jones on February 21, 2011, 10:56:44 am
Here are a couple of suggestions that are invaluable to a beginning collector, yet have great value as a reference even to the experienced collector:
Handbook of Roman Imperial Coins by David Van Meter
Reading and Dating Roman Imperial Coins by Zander H. Klawans

Here are couple good suggestions for Biblically related collecting:
A Numismatic Journey Through the Bible by Richard Plant
A Treasury of Jewish Coins by Ya'akov Meshorer
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Lucas H on February 21, 2011, 11:03:55 am
Thanks for the recommendations.  I should add to what I have by adding I won a Forvm ebay auction for A Numismatic Journey Through the Bible last night. 

How similar or different is Meshorer's book from Hendin's?  With just a couple of books, do those overlap a tremendous amount?
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: cliff_marsland on February 21, 2011, 01:39:35 pm
I would buy Van Meter's guide to Roman coinage.  It's an excellent deal at $35 or less.  It was my first Roman book of note.  It''s not nearly as complete as RIC, but it's still an excellent beginning guide to Roman coins.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Danny S. Jones on February 21, 2011, 02:19:02 pm
Thanks for the recommendations.  I should add to what I have by adding I won a Forvm ebay auction for A Numismatic Journey Through the Bible last night. 

How similar or different is Meshorer's book from Hendin's?  With just a couple of books, do those overlap a tremendous amount?

I would consider both books invaluable to the study of Jewish and Biblical coins. Each focuses on many different topics, while similar issues may get different treatment to bring out facts and nuances that the other book did not treat completely. Hendin, who published the English version Meshorer's book (originally written in Hebrew) doesn't spend too much time rehashing the plethora of knowledge in the original tome. The only setback is the price, but if that is not an issue, I would highly recommend Meshorer as a compendium of knowledge that will sit nicely along side of Hendin's work.

The real question is, however, how in depth will your study be in this area of collecting? If you are like most collectors of ancient coins, the history behind the coinage is more important than the coin itself. If this describes you, I recommend the book.

Regards,
Danny
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: areich on February 21, 2011, 02:30:37 pm
This statement is not to be taken literally and even more loosely defined I don't necessarily agree with it. Especially as a new collector you don't need any coin books immediately. Some general history books would be much more useful. There is much basic and some advanced information to be found here, try the resources and numiswiki links above. There are lots of free books, though most are older to be found here:

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Library%20of%20Ancient%20Coinage

Once you have found that you have an interest in a particular field, go ahead and buy some books but especially in the beginning this can change quickly.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Tacitus on February 21, 2011, 03:42:23 pm
A volume I highly recommed for the beginner is the ERIC (Encyclopedia of Roman Imperial Coins).

Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Jay GT4 on February 21, 2011, 04:08:44 pm
I've found that for 95% of attributions I can find it in the SEAR Roman Coins and their Values Millenium edition.  I have all 3 volumes but volume 1 starts from the republic and goes to Domitian.  I would recommend volume 1 if that is where your interests lie.  You could always buy the other volumes later.  Plus it lists RIC and other reference numbers.  Lots of pictures and a nice general biography of each ruler.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: mwilson603 on February 21, 2011, 08:40:01 pm
I found that buying books first was definitely the way to do it.  Simply because once my coin addiction had used all of my money up, and I couldn't afford to pay for heating, I at least then had something to burn to keep me warm in the winter  :evil:
regards
Mark
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: David Atherton on February 21, 2011, 09:33:55 pm
I certainly didn't follow this advice when starting out. I bought a few coins and then decided to buy my first coin book, VanMeter if I recall. My next book purchase was Roman Silver coins II which corresponded nicely with the era and denomination I chose to collect. As time went by more specialized books were added (BMCRE, RIC) and the very helpful Dictionary of Roman Coins.

I agree with aerich, a few history books will be very useful too. They will only enhance your enjoyment for collecting ancient coins.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Danny S. Jones on February 21, 2011, 11:30:38 pm
I agree with Andreas that going out and spending a bundle on books may not be the best advice for a new collector, who might be better served purchasing coins and then finding the information and attribution he/she needs online.

However, from my perspective, I'm a book collector (read them, not just collect them). I'm fascinated with history and the stories behind the coins. I'm even more intrigued by the studies that the coins I purchase provoke than the coins themselves. The internet can only give you so much. Many people would be surprised to hear that. There are still pieces of information contained in the printed page than cannot be had online.

On the other hand, not everyone needs to invest in something like the RIC, though I admit I have, and use it often, as well as David Atheron who mentioned it above. I'd dare say that few collectors have this resource (even one volume, much less the whole set). "Think of all the coins you could purchase." as someone said.

The question remains then... How serious of a student of history and numismatics are you? Only you as a collector can answer whether or not you "need" to purchase the book before the coin. As your interest grows, so should your library.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: James Anderson on February 21, 2011, 11:55:04 pm
I would suggest Golden Ancient's list and add the one volume (1988) edition of
Sear Roman Coins. Forum seems to be the cheapest place to buy this. I still use it,
although I have the three volumes currently available of the Millennium Edition.
While it isn't primarily about coins, you might also like A Guide to
the Ancient World / A Dictionary of Classical Place Names, by Michael Grant. You
can find from a paragraph to as much as several pages on the mint cities (as well
as others). Jim Anderson
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: S3VERVS on February 22, 2011, 07:28:12 am
The book I'd recommed for the beginner is Cristopher Howgego's Ancient History from Coins. Price is ca. 20 USD.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: ancientone on February 25, 2011, 02:55:35 pm
For Greek coins I would suggest Richard Plant's Greek Coin Types and Their Identification. Great for attributing ancient Greek-era coins by type.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: areich on February 25, 2011, 05:21:50 pm
Strangely I have never identified a coin using the book. I either found them using the typical search engines or if I didn't find them there I also didn't find them in Plant's book.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Tacitus on February 25, 2011, 06:16:54 pm
Since I only collect one emperor, it is easy for me...  Estoit's Monies of the Roman Empire....

In my early days, though, Ras's ERIC was complete invaluable.... I would not have continued without it.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: ancientone on February 26, 2011, 01:43:56 pm
Strangely I have never identified a coin using the book. I either found them using the typical search engines or if I didn't find them there I also didn't find them in Plant's book.

For the beginner it is helpful in learning the different reverse types, and Yes, search engines have made this book obsolete.  I have only identified 3 or 4 coins with this book, one of which was not ID'd on the Identification help board. 
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Pekka K on February 26, 2011, 02:23:16 pm

Where you find the names or attributes
for the search engines? I use Plant's
book frequently to have proper word(s)
to the search entry.

Pekka K
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Lucas H on March 14, 2011, 08:19:28 am
Quote
I would consider both books invaluable to the study of Jewish and Biblical coins. Each focuses on many different topics, while similar issues may get different treatment to bring out facts and nuances that the other book did not treat completely. Hendin, who published the English version Meshorer's book (originally written in Hebrew) doesn't spend too much time rehashing the plethora of knowledge in the original tome.

I bought Meshorer's, and it is an excellent resource for the Jewish coins.  As you said, the subject matter is presented in such a different format, I like having both references.  I got this since shortly after you recommended it, and since I finished reading it, I reread this thread to pick out my first Roman book. 

Quote
I bought a few coins and then decided to buy my first coin book, VanMeter

I ended up buying VanMeter from the Forvm based on the multiple recommendations in this thread.  I've obtained a number of coins, but I'm still not settled enough to invest in a comprehensive catalog, so I thought this might be a good option for my next book given the price, and the fact I wanted something that covered Roman coins. 

Thanks for all the input here, and I'll refer back to it as I work my way up to more detailed reference books. 

Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: commodus on March 15, 2011, 01:42:55 am
There are plenty of instances wherein if you bought the book before the coin you wouldn't be able to afford the coin! >:(
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Lucas H on March 15, 2011, 07:15:22 am
Quote
There are plenty of instances wherein if you bought the book before the coin you wouldn't be able to afford the coin!

When I look at the cost of some of the more detailed catalogs, that's been my rationale thus far- think of what kind of coin I could have for that same money, and I'd rather have the coin at this point.  That's not saying I won't eventually get a more detailed catalog than Van Meter, but I just can bring myself to do it yet with the number of coins in my wish list here at the Forvm-what an evil feature.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Tacitus on March 15, 2011, 06:43:49 pm
Lucas - the best starter book you can buy is Ras' ERIC (Encyclopedia of Roman Imperial Coins)
Well worth the money.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Lucas H on March 29, 2011, 10:55:09 am
Quote
"Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum II: Vespasian to Domitian" (BMCRE II).

If that CNG book is the 2007 edition, I'm buying that RIC from them.  For my next book, I'll check out the BMCRE II instead of RSC.  I'd like something that covers the provincial coins as well (RPC for the Flavian period), but one thing at the time.  As always, thanks for the advice.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: David Atherton on March 29, 2011, 07:42:15 pm
RPC II is the way to go for Flavian provincials. It isn't cheap though! I've seen it go for as low as $200 (what a bargain) and as high as $500.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Lucas H on March 30, 2011, 08:44:18 am
Ok, I ordered RIC II for the Flavian period, and I hope that arrives soon.  David recommends RPC for provincials.  What about RSC?  Can someone explain the difference, and assuming I have RIC, which would be more beneficial for me as a beginner?  I saw a complete set of RSC for $135.  and RPC for $350.  If I could afford one or the other, which should I get?  I want coverage of provincial coins, but the price.  How/what is the difference between RSC and RIC?

And advice is greatly appreciated.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: benito on March 30, 2011, 09:34:25 am
RSC is only for silver.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Lucas H on March 30, 2011, 11:07:42 am
Someone help me.  RIC is the standard reference for Roman Imperial coins?  Roman Provincial Coins is the standard reference for Roman provincial coins? 

1.  Is the above basically correct?

2.  Does RPC cover things like Flavian tetradrachms, didrachms, and hemidrachms?  What about Denarii issued at non-Roman mints?  Is that also covered in RPC?

3.  I understand from Benito, and the title, RSC is for silver coins only, but what is the benefit of RSC if I have RIC? 

4.  If I want some information on Republican coins, what is a good source? 
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: benito on March 30, 2011, 11:39:28 am
3. Not much if you have the complete RIC.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: benito on March 30, 2011, 11:43:52 am
4. a. Forum member Andrew.
    b. Crawford.
    c. Banti.
    d. RSC I.
    e. Smyth. Somewhat old but very amusing.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: areich on March 30, 2011, 01:32:32 pm
RPC is the standard reference for what it covers but there are many other books that considered essential. It depends on which part of the whole that is 'Provincial coins' you want to collect. BMC is another essential reference, most of these are available as PDFs for free, because they're so old.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Library%20of%20Ancient%20Coinage%20-%20British%20Museum%20Collection

If you still want to collect Flavians, RPC II is a must have, unless you want to stick to silver. In that case there are other, more specialized books available since most mints considered provincial didn't mint silver. If you're not sure what you want to collect in the near future and you're not made of money, this may not be the time to buy expensive books yet.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: David Atherton on March 30, 2011, 06:04:34 pm
Areich's advice is pretty spot on as far as RPC is concerned. If you plan on collecting provincial denarii RIC II covers the same ground (with some added types) as RPC II. I hardly ever use RPC II because of my collecting niche (denarii) is better served by RIC, RSC, and BMCRE.

However, if you do plan on collecting provincial bronze and tets, RPC is a must have.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Lucas H on June 30, 2011, 05:45:29 pm
Ok, in the past 3 months since the discussion on this thread, I've received, read, reviewed, and re-read RIC II, and I love it.  When I get denarii, this is what I go to to identify or confirm identities of the coins it covers.  Since I like some of the coins earlier than the Flavians, after I got used to RIC II, I went back and got RIC I, I liked the format so much.

I also got BMCRE II which I use as a secondary source for Flavian information and identification.  I like the extra information on Mattingly's interpretation of types.  

Quote
if you do plan on collecting provincial bronze and tets, RPC is a must have.
I do like the provincial Flavian tets (large, interesting, and can be cheaper than denarii, at least the ones from Alexandria), so I picked this up as well, but to me, it is not as user friendly as the RIC.

I also picked up RSC to compare.  I find it the least useful and hardly ever look at it or use it as a reference as it has very little information beyond the catalog of types.  In RIC, I can look up the type in the catalog, and read something about the series or time in which that particular type was minted.

I'm now contemplating a new book purchase.  I like RIC and BMCRE because they are user friendly comprehensive catalogs, but they also have lots of text/information about the dates, types, evolution of the series, etc.  

How does SRCV I (2000) compare with RIC, BMCRE, and RSC?  Would it unnecessarily duplicate what I already have, or would it be a good supplement?  I like the idea of Republican through 12 Caesars in 1 volume as that covers most of my interests at this point, but I don't want another RSC type book.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: SC on February 18, 2015, 05:31:31 am
I know that this new book has already been listed under Books and References: New Book Announcements but I am posting more about it here as I am not sure all new members visit that section.

Fellow collector Alisdair Menzies has translated Guide Bruck's out of print 1961 Late Roman Bronze Coins: An attribution guide for poorly preserved coins.

It is available, for a very low price, via his web site:

www.lateromanbronzecoins.com

This book is an absolute must for anyone dealing with late Roman bronze coins, especially if you are into uncleaned coins.

The book is an identification guide and a simplified catalogue.

It has 13 pages of images of line drawings of different reverse designs - grouped into catagories like Animals, Jupiter, Women, etc.  These pages give you possible legend options for the designs.

The bulk of the book is then made up of the entries for each reverse type listed alphabetically.  The drawings here often give you information about minor varieties and how to distinguish between similar types.  There is also a list, usually a chart, of mints and Emperors for whom the coin was issued.  This chart gives numbers which are not very important - they tell how many such coins were in the Austrian state collection in 1961 where Bruck was the curator.  They have some relation to scarcity but are by no means a clear guide.  There are also lists fof field marks that can be extremely useful in identifying coins where the mint mark is obscured.  These field marks lists are quite large when it comes to coinage like the SOLI INVCTO COMITI, FEL TEMP REPARATIO, or Valentinian's GLORIA ROMANORVM and SECVRITAS REIPVBLICAE types.

It also has to be noted that types, and mint or Emperor examples, that weren't in the Vienna collection in 1961 are not listed.  This is not a mjaor problem as you can just add in the missing coin - usually just by adding an X on the chart.  It is also relatively rare that coins are missing.  I think I have written in about eight such (ie Bruck did not list a SARMATIA DEVICTA from Arelate) in cataloging my collection of over 1500 coins, plus about a half dozen field mark variations not covered.

This won't replace things like Helvetica's lists for finding all mint mark variations and RIC numbers nor fully detailled catalogues like RIC.  But it will allow rapid identification of many late Roman bronzes and is invaluable with those in poor condition.

In addition, the book, in either paperback or hard cover, is small and inexpensive and can be used as a convenient checklist for your collection.  I now use a pb version as my checklist and have a hc version as my reference.

Shawn

PS - I did assist Alisdair in a small way with this project so can be considered biased.  But I receive nothing from the sales.  I was a huge Bruck fan for many years before I met Alisdair.  I am extremely happy it is now re-printed let alone in English.  To me it is now the first book any new collector of late Roman bronzes needs.




Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Daniel R5 on November 19, 2016, 11:50:39 pm
I moved away from U.S. coins years ago and so I already understood the “buy the book before the coins” theory. I did of course buy a few ancients early on.  What I discovered was that the hunt for the books can be nearly as challenging as finding the coins you like and that I was/am buying books and related coins at the same time.

I would stress to the new collectors that FORUM’s buyback policy is essential to newbies. I was able to return my earliest purchases for credit towards other issues that became more significant for my area of interest later on.  That’s hard to do if your main source is Ebay.

So the texts I own (not including the very old PDF books collected) I divided into two lists here; introductory texts which are more generalized, and more specialized texts which get into greater detail.

I also sympathize with those who say, “but how many coins could you have bought if you had not spent so much on books?”  Well, to these I say that one of the reasons this list appears a bit disjointed and is missing a few key books you would expect to find is that most of these titles were purchased on Amazon, used, for under $1.00  (plus $3.99 shipping typically) with the only notable exception being the massive ERIC II volume which I broke down and bought new. 

To accomplish this feat one must be very patient to wait until a used copy is listed and then be very quick to buy it.  Many of these texts were on my Amazon wishlist for a long time before I was able to get them at that price, and most of them are in well used condition but still fully serviceable.   If you are willing to wait, you can get what you want and not break the bank doing it.

This little library, although far from complete, has served me well--and I continue to add to it.

Introductory texts:

Ancient Coin Collecting (v. 1) Wayne G. Sayles 1996    197 pages    (Krause Pubns Inc) ISBN 13: 9780873414425    ISBN 10: 087341442X

Ancient Coin Collecting II (v. 2) Wayne G. Sayles 1997    208 pages    (kp books) ISBN 13: 9780873415002    ISBN 10: 0873415000

Ancient Coin Collecting III: The Roman World Politics and Propaganda (v. 3) Wayne G. Sayles 1997    208 pages    (Krause Publications) ISBN 13: 9780873415330    ISBN 10: 0873415337

Ancient Coin Collecting V: The Romaion/Byzantine Culture (v. 5) Wayne G. Sayles 1998    208 pages    (Krause Publications) ISBN 13: 9780873416375    ISBN 10: 0873416376

Selections from the Numismatist : Ancient and Medieval Coins James W. Curtis 1960    318 pages    (Whitman Publishing Company)

Introduction to East Roman (Byzantine) Coinage John F. Lhotka 1989    (Sanford J. Durst) ISBN 13: 9780942666533    ISBN 10: 0942666534

Roman coins (The World of numismatics) C. H. V Sutherland 1974    311 pages    (Putnam) ISBN 13: 9780399112393    ISBN 10: 0399112391

Coin Atlas: The World of Coinage from Its Origins to the Present Day, The Joe Cribb, Barrie Cook, Ian Carradice 1990    337 pages    (Facts on File) ISBN 13: 9780816020973    ISBN 10: 0816020973

Coins of the Bible Arthur L Friedberg 2004    (Whitman Pub) ISBN 13: 9780794819163    ISBN 10: 0794819168

Byzantine coins, (The World of numismatics) Philip D Whitting 1973    311 pages    (Putnam) ISBN 13: 9780399110283    ISBN 10: 0399110283

100 Greatest Ancient Coins Harlan J. BerK 2008    131 pages    (Whitman Publishing) ISBN 13: 9780794822620    ISBN 10: 0794822622

Handbook of Ancient Greek and Roman Coins: An Official Whitman Guidebook Zander H. Klawans 1995    287 pages    (Western Pub. Co.) ISBN 13: 9780307093622    ISBN 10: 030709362X

More specialized texts:

Oxford Handbook of Greek and Roman Coinage (Oxford Handbooks), The William E. Metcalf 2016    720 pages    (Oxford University Press) ISBN 13: 9780199372188    ISBN 10: 0199372187

Studies in Early Byzantine Gold Coinage (Numismatic Studies (ANSNS)) William E. Metcalf 1989    144 pages    (American Numismatic Society) ISBN 13: 9780897222259    ISBN 10: 0897222253

Italo-Greek Coins of Southern Italy - Primary Source Edition Alfred Watson Hands 2013    226 pages    (Nabu Press) ISBN 13: 9781289854188    ISBN 10: 1289854181

Coins of Magna Graecia. the Coinage of the Greek Colonies of Southern Italy - Primary Source Edition Alfred Watson Hands 2014    370 pages    (Nabu Press) ISBN 13: 9781294642138    ISBN 10: 1294642138

Greek Coins and Their Values (Hb) Vol 1: Europe David R. Sear 1994    318 pages    (Batsford Ltd) ISBN 13: 9780713478495    ISBN 10: 0713478497

Greek Coins and Their Values (Volume II Asia and Africa) David Sear 1979    444 pages    (Numismatic Fine Arts Intl) ISBN 13: 9780713478501    ISBN 10: 0713478500

Catalogue of the Imperial Byzantine Coins, Vol. 1 of 2: In the British Museum (Classic Reprint) Warwick Wroth 2015    432 pages    (Forgotten Books) ISBN 13: 9781332110117    ISBN 10: 1332110118

Royal Greek Portrait Coins Edward T. Newell 1990    (Sanford J Durst) ISBN 13: 9780942666601    ISBN 10: 0942666607

Handbook of Roman Imperial Coins: A Complete Guide to the History, Types and Values of Roman Imperial Coinage David Van Meter 1991    334 pages    (Laurion Press) ISBN 13: 9781878420060    ISBN 10: 1878420062

Byzantine Coins (Archaeological Exploration of Sardis Monograph Ser : No. 1) George E. Bates 1971    178 pages    (Harvard University Press) ISBN 13: 9780674089655    ISBN 10: 0674089650

Emperors of Rome and Byzantium: Chronological tables for history students and coin collectors, The David R Sear 1974    160 pages    (Seaby)

Eric II The Encyclopedia of Roman Imperial Coins Rasiel Suarez 2010    1481 pages    (Dirty Old Books) ISBN 13: 9780976466413    ISBN 10: 0976466414

Seaby Coin Encyclopaedia, The Ewald Junge 1993    297 pages    (Trafalgar Square) ISBN 13: 9781852640286    ISBN 10: 1852640286

Byzantine Coinage (Dumbarton Oaks Byzantine Collection Publications) Philip Grierson 1999    76 pages    (Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection) ISBN 13: 9780884022749    ISBN 10: 0884022749

Dictionary of Roman Coins, A Seth W. Stevenson 1982    932 pages    (Spink & Son Ltd) ISBN 13: 9780900652608    ISBN 10: 0900652608

Ancient Coin Collecting IV: Roman Provincial Coins (v. 4) Wayne G. Sayles 1998    208 pages    (Krause Publications) ISBN 13: 9780873415521    ISBN 10: 0873415523

Greek Coins and Their Values H. A. Seaby 1966    218 pages    (Seaby) 2nd Edition

Roman Silver Coins, Volume Three: Pertinax to Balbinus & Pupienus H.A. Seaby 1982    164 pages    (Seaby Publications Ltd.) ISBN 13: 9780900652615    ISBN 10: 0900652616

Roman Silver Coins: The Republic to Augustus, Vol. 1 H. A. Seaby 166 pages    (Numismatic Fine Arts Intl) ISBN 13: 9780900652448    ISBN 10: 0900652446

Roman Coins and Their Values David R. Sear 1981    376 pages    (Seaby (B.A.) Ltd) ISBN 13: 9780900652578    ISBN 10: 0900652578

Roman Silver Coins: Vol. IV. Gordian III to Postumus H.A. Seaby 1971    137 pages    (Seaby) ISBN 13: 9780900652134    ISBN 10: 0900652136

Roman Silver Coins: Tiberius to Commodus, Vol. 2. H. A. Seaby 1979    255 pages    (Numismatic Fine Arts Intl) ISBN 13: 9780900652486    ISBN 10: 0900652489

Roman Coins and Their Values  David R. Sear 1988    400 pages    (Numismatic Fine Arts Intl) ISBN 13: 9780713478235    ISBN 10: 0713478233

Christian Emblems on the Coins of Constantine I the Great, His Family and His Successors Frederic W. Madden 2004    224 pages    (Kessinger Publishing, LLC) ISBN 13: 9781432605681    ISBN 10: 1432605682

Roman Silver Coins, Vol V, Carausius to Romulus Augustus C.E. King, H.A. Seaby, David R. Sear 1987    256 pages    (Sanford J Durst) ISBN 13: 9780900652806    ISBN 10: 0900652802

Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Adriaan v on January 06, 2017, 11:53:32 am
As a relatively new collector I think it is wise to listen to good advice. So I am going to buy a book before the coins (completely true though, I already own 18 coins). I got "Roman Bronze Coins: From Paganism to Christianity by Victor Failmezger" as a reading suggestion. The reviews I read on the Internet make me think this book really connects to my field of interest. However, I cannot find the book! Does somebody know if it is still available (maybe as an ebook?). Or is it normal to pay a 200$ or more for a second hand book?

Thank you for your advice!
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: SC on January 07, 2017, 03:48:02 pm
The book is out of print.  I don't think it has been re-issued in any form.  And sadly yes, numismatic books are expensive and so high prices are not unusual.

Shawn
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Enodia on January 08, 2017, 12:53:10 am
I got "Roman Bronze Coins: From Paganism to Christianity by Victor Failmezger" as a reading suggestion.

$100 on Amazon.

~ Peter
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Adriaan v on January 11, 2017, 03:07:46 am
Thank you for your help! However, none of the Amazon sellers will ship to the Netherlands... Does somebody want to sell me their copy ? Could not find it in the FORVM shop either.

Thank you!
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Eric C2 on November 30, 2019, 08:27:43 pm
The book I'd recommemd for the beginner is Christopher Howgego's Ancient History from Coins. Price is ca. 20 USD.

Funny that someone should mention Howgego!

I am just in the very early stages of this area of the overall coin-collecting hobby, and this was the first book I read --- not because it came highly recommended, but because it was one of the few such books available in our local library branch.

A word of caution though to those who haven't read it yet ... it is a serious academic writing, using heavy academic language. I found it a bit of a difficult read at first (although I have gone to graduate school). It seemed like I was walking through a field of mud, up to my knees.

But I did learn a lot from it, and would certainly recommend it.
Title: Re: Buy the Book Before the Coin/Book Recommendations for the Beginner
Post by: Robert B14 on October 09, 2020, 08:34:14 am
This statement is not to be taken literally and even more loosely defined I don't necessarily agree with it. Especially as a new collector you don't need any coin books immediately. Some general history books would be much more useful. There is much basic and some advanced information to be found here, try the resources and numiswiki links above. There are lots of free books, though most are older to be found here:

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Library%20of%20Ancient%20Coinage

Once you have found that you have an interest in a particular field, go ahead and buy some books but especially in the beginning this can change quickly.

Thanks!  Wonderful background info. And FREE. 😁