Coins Books

great reference guidebook for collectors & investors. just wished there were more pictures.

This 2volume book is an excellent reference work on Gupta gold coins with the Garuda banner. Volume II lists a comprehensive collection of coin images-many from private collections and Museums not published before.

This book is a must for anyone studying Gupta numismatics!

J.S. Forbes spent some thirty years as head of the London Assay office in charge of testing and marking silver and gold objects. The volume, which has been thoroughly researched traces the history of the assaying of silver objects from the thirteenth century to the present. Although limited to the London assay office the book necessarily traces the work of all the assay offices. The author shows how silver objects were tested for metal content and then marked with the sterling standard for 925 grams of silver per 1000 or with the Britannia standard for a higher silver content. He then shows the development of the symbols,i.e. the lion passant for steling, the symbol for the city of London, and the addition of the date year. Interestingly, the date year is a great benefit to the collector and historian who thereby knows the exact date of production. However, the year was added so that if articles were found to be below standard the officers in charge for that year could be identified. Forbes shows how the Goldsmnith's Company in LKondon gained and retained control of the hallmarking to the present day. The book is clearly written and well researched. It is a miust for anyone interested in English silver and is unlikely to be replaced as a standard refernce work.

This is an expanded and updated fully illustrated version of the first book that introduced novice collectors and history buffs to the ancient coins issued by Judaea and related coins of the Greeks, Romans etc. These "Bible coins" offer unique insights into Jewish, Christian and Islamic history in the Holy Land.

Historic Gold Coins of the World

By: Burton Hobson

Published: 1971

This beautifully illustrated book shows the history of gold coins. The coins are selected for both their historic importance and for their artistic merit. The book is successful both as a work of history and as an art exhibit.

The selection of coins is exceptional. The photography shows excellent detail. The text gives interesting background on the use of gold coins in the periods covered.

Overall this is a very attractive book.

I recommend "Historic Gold Coins of the World" both for reading pleasure and for the high quality pictures.

See also:

The beauty and lore of coins, currency and medals

The Beauty and Lore of Coins Currency and Medals

Historic Gold Coins of the World

By: Burton Hobson

Published: 1971

This beautifully illustrated book shows the history of gold coins. The coins are selected for both their historic importance and for their artistic merit. The book is successful both as a work of history and as an art exhibit.

The selection of coins is exceptional. The photography shows excellent detail. The text gives interesting background on the use of gold coins in the periods covered.

Overall this is a very attractive book.

I recommend "Historic Gold Coins of the World" both for reading pleasure and for the high quality pictures.

See also:

The beauty and lore of coins, currency and medals

The Beauty and Lore of Coins Currency and Medals

Historic Gold Coins of the World

By: Burton Hobson

Published: 1971

This beautifully illustrated book shows the history of gold coins. The coins are selected for both their historic importance and for their artistic merit. The book is successful both as a work of history and as an art exhibit.

The selection of coins is exceptional. The photography shows excellent detail. The text gives interesting background on the use of gold coins in the periods covered.

Overall this is a very attractive book.

I recommend "Historic Gold Coins of the World" both for reading pleasure and for the high quality pictures.

See also:

The beauty and lore of coins, currency and medals

The Beauty and Lore of Coins Currency and Medals

An Illustrated History of U.S. Commemorative Coinage, a 1967 publication, is hard to find but is well worth the investment. The book deals with the United States Commemorative coinage struck from the 1892 Columbian Exposition Half Dollar through the 1954 BTW-Carver Half Dollars. This is not a price guide, but rather a compilation of a rich treasure trove of previously unpublished accounts and letters relating to the U.S. Commemorative coin series. Equally fascinating is the publication of rejected designs, including early drafts of the accepted designs. For example, original sketches by Isaac Hathaway for the BTW-Carver coin are shown, along with the reverse design which the U.S. State Department vetoed because of the blatantly anti-communist reverse. The book is well-documented, contains numerous photos, and is written in an engaging writing style. Used copies may seem a little expensive, but the book is well worth the investment for any serious collector of United States Commemorative coins.

For many years of tutelage at Iowa State University, we have experienced the wonders of Dr. John "The Bomb" Cunnally. His simple and direct approach paints a clear and concise picture for all audiences.

About the Book :
An attribute is the most appropriate emblem to distinguish an icon of a deity-without which an image remains incomplete. It is artist`s imagination that takes a concrete shape to arouse consciousness to the existence of divinity. In this artistic composition, motifs are the constituent features for embellishments that manifest some kind of divinity. This book in its four sections presents a comprehensive study on the stylistic and typological evolution of image, attributes and motifs in early Indian art and numismatics. In section one, the author focuses attention on the iconology and significance of two armed images of Ganesa whose sculptural depictions in Saiva temples represent his semi-devine status. The study reveals that such forms have a wide occurrence in sculptural art either independently or in association with other Hindu deities. Section two which traces the origin, morphology and typological evolution of vajra as a weapon or a motif in early Indian art and numismatics, also narrates its literary and sculptural association with Hindu, Buddhist and Jaina deities. From her study it appears that the delineation of vajra is both functional and decorative, depending on the concept of artists through the ages. Third section of the book discusses the wide archaeological evidence of terracotta art forms which were create both as an important item of everyday use as well as a popular craft to meet the demands or rural, semi-rural and urban classes. Significantly it shows that the terracotta art traditions continue along with newly acquired fashions and models as the continuity and change mark the course of development and transformation of various symbols and iconographic forms of various pantheons, apart from sociological aspects reflected in dresses, ornaments, furnitures, arms, weapons, musical instruments etc., depicted on the coins indicating a coveted social life and propensities of the ruled. The book contains appendix, exhaustive bibliography, an index besides a map, line drawings and 311 photographic illustrations.

About the Author :
Dr. Arundhati Banerji now a Deputy Superintending Archaeologist, joined the Archaeological Survey of India, for post-graduate training in Archaeology (1972-73). Ever since she takes active interest and participation in all the branches of archaeology.
Though her keenness in the field of Epigraphy and Numismatic of early period, made her to purse further studies in archaeology, she studied numerous antiquities preserved in different Museums and Central Antiquities Collection of the Survey. Her long association with the survey, enabled her to study the stylistic evolution of various art forms particularly the terracottas.
She was awarded Ph.D. (1990) for her work Terracotta Art of Northern and Western India c. 2000-300 B.C.
Besides many research papers, she has also contributed articles for "An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology (ed.) A. Ghosh. At present, she is assiduously working for a monograph Terracotta Art of India on which she has already contributed widely in many Research Journals. She has also travelled abroad in connection with the Festival of India, Paris.

Contents :
Preface
Description of Figures
Description of Plates
1. The Two-Armed Ganesa/Different Epithets of Ganesa as Mentioned in Ancient/Texts/Visual Representations/Sculptural Manifestations and Classification/Annotation
2. Vajra/Origin and Description of Vajra According to Ancient Texts/Association of Vajra with Hindu, Buddhist and Jaina Deities/Formal Features/Extra-Indian Parallela/Conclusion
3. Indian Terracotta Art Expression/Genesis and Early Development/Variation and Change/Growth and Expansion/Function and Meaning
4. Early Indian Coin Motifs/Evolution of Indian Coins/Coin Motifs of Religious Importance/Sociological Aspects as Gleaned by the Coin Motifs/Conclusion
Appendices
1. Mudra
2. Asana
3. Vahana
4. Ayudha
5. Coin Legends in Kharoshthi of Early Foreign Rulers in India
Bibliography
Index