Not Kosher: Forgeries of Ancient Jewish and Biblical Coins (Hardcover)

~ David Hendin (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

All of the more than 550 coins illustrated and discussed in this book are Not Kosher... in other words they are forgeries, often intended to deceive unwitting collectors. David Hendin has collected and researched these neglected forgeries for more than 35 years, and now makes his diagnostic methodology and huge database of photographs available to scholars, collectors, and dealers. Hendin writes: "When apparently legitimate college professors and scholars were prepared to authenticate, as genuine, ancientJewish coins that even a beginning collector could identify as spurious, the time had come to document all those known fakes."

About the Author

David Hendin is known worldwide as an authority and Biblical and ancient Jewish coins. Hendin's Guide to Biblical Coins is in its fourth edition and is the best-selling reference ever written for this series. Hendin is a fellow of the American Numismatic Society. In 2003 Hendin received the Presidential Award of the American Numismatic Association. In 2000 and 1993 he was awarded the Numismatic Literary Guild award for "Best Magazine Column" and in 1966 he received the Ben Odesser Judaic Literary Award for his writing. His scholarly articles are regularly published in the Israel Numismatic Journal. Hendin frequently teaches at the American Numismatic Association Summer Seminar, and has lectured widely in the United States as well as in Europe and Israel. In 1985 and 1986 he was chief numismatist of the Joint Sepphoris Project under the auspices of Duke University and Hebrew University. As consultant to the Jewish Museum in New York, Hendin worked with the late Ya'akov Meshorer to prepare and acquire coins for the exhibit and edited the catalog Coins Reveal. Hendin also edited and published Meshorer's A Treasury of Jewish Coins and Ancient Jewish Coinage I & II. Hendin has visited Israel more than 70 times, including a year-long stay as a volunteer of the Six Day War in 1976-68. In addition to Guide to Ancient Jewish Coins, Guide to Biblical Coins, and Collecting Coins, he has written eight other books and many hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles. He has been listed in Who's Who in America since 1974.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Amphora (January 15, 2005)
• ISBN-10: 0965402932
• ISBN-13: 978-0965402934
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,906,364 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Save yourself some aggravation., January 17, 2005

By	Stephen N. Gerson MD (lexington , ma.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Kosher: Forgeries of Ancient Jewish and Biblical Coins, January 18, 2005

By	Shekel Man - See all my reviews

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.