Show Us Your Ancient Coin Library Here: A Numismatic Literature Post

I haven't posted here in a very long time, but I couldn't resist this topic, since I love old books at least as much as I do old coins!

Like many of you, the substantial majority of my numismatic library these days consists of links to online copies of relevant books and articles, and of pdf files I've downloaded to my hard drive. But I do still have, and occasionally buy, quite a few hard copies -- especially when they're not available online -- and sometimes find them easier to consult in my hands than on my computer.

These two shelves contain almost all of my books on ancient Roman Republican, Imperial, and Provincial coins (including quite a few on Roman Alexandrian coins alone, towards the right on the top shelf), as well as a couple of books on ancient Greek coins. Certainly it's nowhere near as many as some of you, but I'm still happy I have them!

(The ones on the far right of the second shelf mostly have nothing to do with ancient coins, although the first two, concerning "medals," do discuss them. They're "antiquarian" books primarily about English coins.)

I think the resolution is high enough that it's possible to read all or most of the titles if one zooms in on the photo.



As others are posting photos of non-ancient books, here are some of mine.

Shelves of English and other world coin books, beginning with those same antiquarian books:




Books about British historical and commemorative medals and other exonumia:



Books about other historical and commemorative medals, mostly French, including Napoleonic medals, "art" medals, medals of Louis XIV, etc. I also have a couple of large volumes on Renaissance medals, which I keep elsewhere with my art books. In other words, with books about other art that I'll never be able to afford to buy!

Most of the well-known books on Napoleonic and other French medals that I don't own, particularly the ones published in the 19th and early 20th centuries, are available online, primarily through gallica.bnf.fr.

 

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Wow, so fun seeing other people's numismatic libraries! Great to see some from CT'ers who haven't posted as much lately.

I actually love seeing some of the same books on everyone's shelf, as well as drooling over the ones I wish I had but don't yet. (Especially the sets: RPC, Banti, RIC, SNGs, Mitchiner, Hoover-HGCs, and so on.)

I've just finished a first look through a new group of about 300 Münzen und Medaillen Fixed Price Lists (most between ~260 & 609). (I'll get a full set of 609+ someday!)



The MMAG FPL's have little themes in each list (e.g., "Greek, Animals" or "Roman Middle Bronze"). One of the most popular was a personal interest of principal H.A. Cahn: Greek Fractions, which I collect. Or Kleinmünzen or Divisionnaires (depending on language of choice, another great thing about this multilingual Swiss series).

High res. digital photos have made small coins more enjoyable & collectable, but there's no substitute for seeing them together, to scale, on high quality "plates." (E.g., In addition to the digital photos, see the plates in the astonishing catalog of the appropriately named "Collection Sans Pareille" of Greek AR Fractions [click "Read More" & Download PDF on the Nomos 26 (21 May 2023) page].)


Only one of my Greek AR fractions is illustrated in these FPLs (494, 30, above, later BCD Lokris-Phokis 198).

But I've begun taking notes on the rest, especially those I recognize from other collections and die-studies (I noted some in Comments on ACSearch, now interspersed through the first couple pages of most recent, with more to add). Of the 550 spectacular fractions in Nomos 26, 94 were from MMAG FPLs! (62 in my half.) Many others in the BCD, ADM, other notable colls.

In the first post I showed my Sale Catalog shelves and a few books, but here are some more shelf photos:

Oversize (incl. Dattari-Savio 2007, Kent-Hirmer ex ANS, and Imhoof-Blumer 1871 signed/inscribed to Winterthur Kunstverein) & Sear-Sayles-etc.:


Mostly standard stuff that also appears in others' photos (incl. the scarce KAIROS: Contributions Demetriadi in blue slipcase; .


Most of these were shown before, though a few weren't in photo or have been added -- mostly signed, inscribed, bookplates or other interesting ex-library (the inscriptions/signatures listed below). If looking closely, one might notice various duplicates across photos:


I really like collecting volumes inscribed by one numismatist to another, and especially with correspondence (and especially if I have any of the coins published inside). A few have really interesting details that can't be summarized (I could go on for ages), but here's a quick list:

Inscribed and/or w/ Correspondence (alphabetized by first author if multiple):

• Erdogan Atak (to Hermann Lanz [1910-1998] & Hubert Lanz [1943-]);
• Margarete Bieber (1879-1978) (to Margaret Thompson [1911-1992]);
• Elvira Clain-Stefanelli (1914-2001) (to Mrs. Mary Reichenbach [?]);
• Curtis L. Clay (to Luke Scholing of Jacques Schulman, Amsterdam);
• Edward Cohen (to Hubert Lanz);
• Charles Davis (to Ken Lowe [d. 1998]);
• Leo DeLand (to Alex G. Malloy, w/ correspondence);
• Maria Teresa Gomes Ferreira (1925-2022) (to Mark M. Salton [1914-2005], w/ correspondence);
• David Hendin (1945-) (to Jay M. Galst [1950-1920]);
• Friedrich Imhoof-Blumer (1839-1920) (to Winterthur Kunstverein [Switzerland, Museum]);
• Dennis Kroh (to C. Jackson-Jacobs [1978-]);
• Henry Clay Lindgren (1914-2005) (to Mark Millman);
• Joel Malter (1931-2006) (to Arthur John Seltman; to Stuart L Malter [1942-2021]; to Frank Mosher);
• Richard McAlee (to Jay M. Galst [1950-2020]);
• Ya'akhov Meshorer (1935-2004) (to Jay M. Galst [1950-1920]);
• Herbert Ott (1915-1987) ([?] to Endel Vingissar (1928 -);
• Rev. Edgar Rogers (1873-1961) (to Rev. James Welldon [1854-1937]);
• Jonathan P. Rosen (1944-) (to Torkhom Demirjian);
• David R. Sear (1942-) (to Jay M. Galst [1950-1920]);
• David Sellwood (1925-2012), P. Whitting, and R. Williams (to Robert Göbl [1919-1997], w/ correspondence);
• Friedrich Stefan (1886-1962) (to Vladimir Clain-Stefanelli [1914-1982]);
• W.P. Wallace (1907-1965) (to Basil Brewer [1883-1975], w correspondence);
• Richard B. Witschonke (1945-2015) & Peter van Alfen (to Jay M. Galst);

More Signed by Author:

• John W. Adams (1936-);
• Burton Y. Berry (1901-1985);
• Norman Davis (1897-1991);
• David Fanning;
• George Frederick Kolbe (1941-);
  
• Ya'akov Meshorer (1935-2004) & (I think) Shraga Qedar (1933-2015);
  
• Wayne G. Sayles (1943-);
• Hans Schulman (1913-1990);
• Fred Shore (1948? -);
• Rasiel Suarez (1969-);
• C.H.V. Sutherland (1908-1986);
• David Vagi;
• Paul Zanker (1937-);

 

I'm obviously a big numis-lit nerd because I make a collage for each new book. Here are two of my recent additions:

1. Sydenham's classic Roman Republic Coinage. Not in perfect shape, but it's a nice bonus that it's ex library of David Hendin with his embossed blind-stamp. This one was actually a recent gift from my father. (We collect coins and books and other stuff together.)

It's the "revised" 1952 edition, but as far as I can tell, that's the first edition. I assume it's revised because it was unfinished when Syd. died in 1948, and the others edited and revised his manuscript? (GC Haines, L Forrer, and C Hersh.)




2. Failmezger's Roman Bronze Coins. If possible, I try to buy all my numismatic books with some ex-libris marks (as above) or signed and/or inscribed by the author. But some are harder to find than others.

I almost broke down and bought an un-signed copy... but, just then, I came across the first signed copy I've seen!

Moreover, it's an "association copy" -- inscribed to Jonathan Metzger, a member of the Washington, D.C. ancient coin club with Doug and Tory Failmezger (1947-2021), and who is thanked in the preface for reviewing an early draft. (An obituary for Failmezger here from his publisher; see also the bio/collection page by Marc Breitsprecher.)

Victor "Tory" Failmezger. 2002. Roman Bronze Coins: From Paganism to Christianity 294-364 A.D. (With photos by Doug Smith.)

A new classic, quite an interesting book. I recognize lots of the coins from Doug's website & CT posts. I still don't own a "plate coin" from it, but they're out there. I'm waiting for one with a captive, barbarian, or enemy.