Which coin book is your current read, and which will be your next buy?

This is most of my numismatic library. In addition, I have all the Sear volumes of the latest edition. I’m currently reading «Ancient Greek Coins» by Jenkins and «Medieval coins of Europe» by Grierson. I like Grierson, but I’m looking for another book about medieval coins. If anyone has a good suggestion, that’s probably my next book.
I was looking forward to getting «Islamic coins and their values» by Tim Wilkes, but it wasn’t exactly as expected. Good overview of the coins, but very little text. So Spengler & Sayles will probably be bought in 2021 too.
What about you? What are you reading, do you have a book to recommend, or are there numismatic books that you are looking for? Please share.

 

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I just finished
Ancient Coins in Early American Auctions, 1869–1939





and am starting
Imperial Legitimation: The iconography of the Golden Age Myth on Roman Imperial coinage of the Third Century AD

 

I am reading the 2 Red Books by Bowers on Morgan Silver Dollars and Double Eagles.

I'm considering buying the 1st Edition of the Akers Gold book and the "blue" hardcover Saint-Gaudens "The Coinage of Augustus Saint-Gauden: as Illustrated by the Phillip H. Morse Collection." I have the "red" softcover version of this by Roger Burdette which is sufficiently different; more content, less photos.

Here's my recent readings:

 

Currently reading Renaissance of American Coinage 1905-1908 and golf books when I want a break.

 

I just noticed this thread is in the ANCIENT COINS thread...not sure if the OP was intended just for Ancient Coin books.

If not, might want to move it to COIN CHAT or US COINS.

If intended to be ancient-only, this should stop any more unwarranted interlopers.

 

I’m just happy to get an answer. It may be a good idea to move the thread to coin chat. Not US coins, who cares about them...

 

Currently:



And next:

 

I like the Sutherland book. The second one looks interesting, but I’m trying to resist the urge to collect the Gaul empire... and whatever coins I read a book about, I end up collecting.

 

This one just arrived today so I’ll try to start it soon.

 

I am reading the Sayles and Spengler right now. Volume I and volume 2 next.
Its a great guide to a new collection for me. I bought a Victory coin this weekend because i had just read about it in volume 1.

 

Yes. I need to get that one. The Wilkes catalog gives a good overview with lots of photos, but no fun stories. And we’re kinda in it for the stories, aren’t we?

 

Highly recommended, stories are included, but more observational. I do recommend you buy the books new from Wayne Sayles store on Vcoins. I paid $66 for both volumes, including shipping. Problem is I have spent far more on the coins since I bought this set.

 

One of my collecting niches is the Magna Graecian coins of ancient Calabria's lesser known Messapian mints like Sturnium, Samadi, Hyria/Orra, Graxa and Uxentum. These are harder to find than the better known bronzes of Brundisium and the plentiful and well-known coinage of Tarentum, which include the "Horsemen of Tarentum" series, examples of which I see posted occasionally on these pages. I'm also interested in the medieval coinage of Puglia (which used to be known as Calabria in antiquity - Apulia and Calabria were geographically switched around in the Middle Ages)... again, not just the major mint of Brindisi but also Bari, Barletta, and Lecce.

For those of you interested in Magna Grecian and Italian medieval coins, Alberto D'Andrea has released a ton of amazing books. These used to be in Italian but he has begun translating them into English. He has partnered with regional Italian experts to write them, and has a passion for detail (I think he's an architect by profession). He illustrates these works with photos from major auctions, private and public collections. Alberto's work on the Messapian coins, which I have owned for some time, is the most comprehensive of its kind that I have seen to date. I suspect that his works on other Italian regional mints like "Sicilian coins of the Arabs and Byzantines", "Coins of the Minor Mints in Campania" (Volumes 1,2, and 3), "Coins of Peucenzia", "Coins of Daunia", etc. are all written with similar attention to detail.

The dog-eared copies I have are shown below. They are soft-cover and very detailed, and all in Italian, but are very affordable (something like EUR 16-20 each):





The full library can be found here: https://en.edizionidandrea.com/bookstore

I'm still waiting for this one to come out... it's in 3 volumes and has been in the works for a while. It was due to be released in 2020 but will likely be released this year. I have been working with Alberto on the translation into English and have finished the translation, it is likely in final editing. There is another one in preparation just for the Tarentum diobols as well which should come out sooner. Stay tuned...

 

Thanks. Of course you have spent more, and so will probably I Which books about Byzantine coins do you recommend? That’s your field of interest, right?

 

I also have a copy of the Sutherland book, sans dust cover:


I got a load of reading material before Christmas and haven't made much progress with it yet:

1. The NSI's "Occasional Papers", which has been appearing with increasing regularity in recent years - there was a gap of a couple of decades between two issues at one stage
2. A book on Locris Opountian coins (I got help here when chasing one I was unable to identify)
3. An ANS book by the late Ted Buttrey on some Republican gold, a coin illustrated therein has recently been purchased by a CoinTalker, IIRC
4. An old ANS annual, with a paper about Crepusia denarii
5. Catalogue of the Leo Benz collection
6. A Glendining auction catalogue
7. A rather nice book with nice pictures of coins and a lot about photography
8. A new book on Gunmoney (I got 3, 4 & 6 from Galata also, to piggyback on the postage)
9. A French translation of Franke & Hirmer's classic (in English as Kraay & Hirmer)

I guess I can start with the Occasional Papers

ATB,
Aidan.

 

Sorry, I tried to post the pictures but somehow it didn't work. Still trying to figure this out. All the books are at the site. The new three-volume work coming out this year is the complete coinage of Tarentum (Taras) - gold, silver, and bronze from the first emissions through to the Punic occupation by Hannibal.

 

No worries, my friend. Welcome to Cointalk!
(But you need to figure out how to post pictures, because your collection sounds interesting, and I hope you will share some pics with us )

 

Yes, I will need to figure this out soon...

 

Tough question because I am so specialized in the 12th century. I read books on the 12th century economy but I use Dumbarton Oakes Catalog IV the most for my collection but we are talking a 1000 years of history. That's the thing about it , the history of the empire is so vast . To get a perspective I do recommend Wayne Sayles solo books on Ancient coin collecting, Volume V is on Romani coins ( Byzantine)It is a very easy read and he breaks down and gives you a simple history on each ruler. Then at the end he gives the masterpieces of the coinage. After that Norwich's books bring the time period alive. He has three volumes or a one volume abbreviated version.

Another author I enjoy is Eileen Stephenson. Her fiction works and one Nonfiction works are based on the 11th century of the empire.

Byzantine History in the 11th Century - Eileen Stephenson

I discovered her reading her book of short stories based on the time period. I believe there is a free story on her web site.

 

I'd prefer it if you left it here, because that's the only way I would ever see people's posts in it -- the ancient coins forum is the only one I ever open.