Customer Reviews

Not Kosher: Forgeries of Ancient Jewish and Biblical Coins

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David Hendin, the leading American authority on Jewish and Biblical coins has created a readable and engrossing book on a vexing topic: fraudulent ancient coins of the Holy Land. Counterfeiting ancient coins is not uncommon, and the excited amateur is vulnerable. ( Also , even the excited expert can be fooled by superbly rendered fakes of rarities such as the highly sought after and expensive Menorah coin of the Maccabees.) David takes you through his own lifetime of adventures with fakes, mistakes and con artists: from the Marketplace of the Old City of Jerusalem to fakes that appear in prominent US and European auctions.

David shines with fascinating personal anecdotes of coin experiences and characters in the Holy Land, as he hunts for authentic treasures. Not Kosher provides the reader with diagnostic techniques to differentiate the authentic from bogus and provides superb photos of fakes that range from crude to the superb. This book is fun read and can save you some pain.

Have you ever purchased a recording of your favorite band's greatest hits only to find a newly released song? The studio knew that the release was an instant classic. That is my review of "Not Kosher," an instant classic! This book is authored by David Hendin who has the ability to bring history to life. The book is divided into 16 easy to read chapters which covers the types and methodology of forgers, both past and present. The chapters are copiously illustrated with high quality photographs of the obverse, reverse, and edges of forgeries with comparison to the genuine coin. The book is an amusing read revealing the ruses of many forgers but also includes the necessary technical data. It concludes with an extensive and invaluable bibliography. This book was written by David Hendin who is amongst the greatest living experts of Biblical coins and ancients in general. Like his "Guide to Biblical Coins," "Not Kosher" is a MUST HAVE for all coin collectors (all of whom may be victims of forgers) as well as students of (Biblical)history and archaeology. It is solidly constructed and at a price of $50.00, a genuine bargain.