Roman Coins And Their Values Volume 2

The third volume of the fully revised and expanded general catalogue of Roman coins extends coverage of the Imperial series from the accession of Maximinus I in AD 235 down to the assassination of Carinus and the accession of Diocletian half a century later. This turbulent period, during which the Empire came close to total collapse and disintegration, witnessed great changes in the Imperial coinage including unprecedented debasement and the beginning of the decentralization of the mint system.

Volume II now extends coverage of the Imperial series from Nerva, the 'thirteenth Caesar' and first of the 'Adoptive' emperors, down to the overthrow of the Severan dynasty in 235. It encompasses what may justifiably be termed the 'golden age' of the Roman imperial coinage. The full development of the Augustan system of coin denomination and perfection of the method by which government propaganda was communicated to the citizenry through the medium of coinage both reached their peak during these fourteen decades.

The Byzantine Empire lasted for almost a thousand years after the fall of the Roman Empire in the West. The period covered by this catalogue is from the reign of Anastasius I (491518) until the capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453. When this catalogue was first published in 1974 it was hailed as containing more information in a concise form than any other single volume on the Byzantine series.

The original edition of Sear's Roman Coins and Their Values was published by Seaby thirty-six years ago and has been through four revisions (1970, 1974, 1981 and 1988). However, the publication of the 'Millennium Edition' of this popular work makes a radical departure from previous editions.

This fourth volume contains a comprehensive listing of the Roman coinage of the period AD 284337 together with background information on the history of each reign and the principal characteristic of its coinage. The catalogue is organized primarily by ruler with the issues then subdivided by denomination and by reverse legend and type.

The current revision of this popular work marks a radical departure from the envisioned aims of the original edition. This fifth and final volume of the 'Millennium edition' contains a comprehensive listing of the Roman coinage of the period AD 337-491 together with background information on the history of each reign and the principal characteristics of its coinage. The catalogue is organized primarily by ruler with the issues then subdivided by denomination and by reverse legend and type.

A large gap exists in the literature of ancient numismatics between general works intended for collectors and highly specialized studies addressed to numismatists. Indeed, there is hardly anything produced by knowledgeable numismatists that is easily accessible to the academic community at large or the interested lay reader. The Oxford Handbook of Greek and Roman Coinage will fill this gap by providing a systematic overview of the major coinages of the classical world. The Handbook begins with a general introduction by volume editor William E. Metcalf followed by an article establishing the history and role of scientific analysis in ancient numismatics. The subsequent thirty-two chapters, all written by an international group of distinguished scholars, cover a vast geography and chronology, beginning with the first evidence of coins in Western Asia Minor in the seventh century BCE and continuing up to the transformation of coinage at the end of the Roman Empire. In addition to providing the essential background and current research questions of each of the major coinages, the Handbook also includes articles on the application of numismatic evidence to the disciplines of archaeology, economic history, art history, and ancient history. With helpful appendices, a glossary of specialized terms, indices of mints, persons, and general topics, and nearly 900 illustrations, The Oxford Handbook of Greek and Roman Coinage will be an indispensable resource for scholars and students of the classical world, as well as a stimulating reference for collectors and interested lay readers.

A revolution has occurred in the field of Roman coin values since the publication of the 1970 edition of this catalogue.