Coins are an unrivaled source of information about the past. They survive in large numbers, and unlike most other artifacts they are often stamped with words, images, and dates. In this generously illustrated book, a recognized authority on ancient coins offers a cogent lesson in how to evaluate the evidence that coins provide. With examples from antiquity through the seventeenth century, Burnett explains how we can establish when and where a coin was made, and what a coin's function as a piece of money tells us about the economy in which it participates. Finally, he asks how we can use the designs of coins to throw light on the political, religious, and cultural life of the past.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From the Inside Flap
"Should be assigned in any seminar on numismatics as required reading."--Kenneth W. Harl, author of Civic Coins & Civic Politics in the Roman East, a.d. 180-275
From the Back Cover
"Should be assigned in any seminar on numismatics as required reading." (Kenneth W. Harl, author of Civic Coins & Civic Politics in the Roman East, a.d. 180-275)
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beyond Coin Collecting,
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This review is from: Coins (Interpreting the Past) (Paperback)
In this book Andrew Burnett writes that there is the wealth of information that coins can contribute to our understanding of the past. For example, the coins minted by Richard the Lionhearted and his brother John all carried the name of their father Henry II because public confidence was based upon an unchanging design. Or for another example, the coins minted by Caesar Augustus phased out the use of divine symbols when depicting the emperor. The political message sent by the coins was that Augustus was "first among equals." Not surprisingly, Nero reinstated the use of divine symbols on his coins. The political message here is that Nero was "first without equals." As historical sources coins have a couple of advantages. One is that they were officially produced. And the second is that they were massed produced. _Coins_ is a concise yet very interesting book for readers who want to get beyond coin collecting.
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