I know that there a ton of reference books etc. regarding ancient coins, especially Greek and Roman coins. Recently there were two recommendations that appeared in a CT thread(s) about ancient coins. The books were: The Roman Emperors written by Michael Grant and A History of Ancient Rome in Twelve Coins by Gareth Harney. The Grant book is full of information but at times it is a bit of slog. The Harney book is also full of information, not only about the Emperors but also provides all kinds of information through vignettes of Roman History. For example it touches on the Punic Wars and Hannibal, it describes the building of the Coliseum and events that took place there, but also other monuments such as Trajan's Column and the arched bridge across the Danube designed by Apollodorus a genius and engineer who implemented, designed and built many works commissioned by Trajan. The Harney book also covers the process of minting coins and provides a concise history of all the emperors and kings from the beginning of Rome's history. It is wonderful read. While I recommend both books, if I could only buy one it would be the book by Mr. Harney.
