Emperors and assassins, owls and turtles, gods and goddesses, brave heroes and villainous rogues—all of these and more await you among the 100 Greatest Ancient Coins. In this beautifully illustrated second edition of his award-winning book, Harlan J. Berk, one of the world’s best-known ancient-coin dealers, takes you on a personal guided tour of the numismatic antiquities of Greece, Rome, the Eastern Roman (so-called Byzantine) empire, and other parts of the ancient world.
The first edition of 100 Greatest Ancient Coins earned the Numismatic Literary Guild’s prestigious award for “Best Specialized Book on World Coins.”
New in the second edition:
a foreword by British numismatist and author Italo Vecchi, who calls the book “a remarkable catalog of 100 exceptional coins” and “invaluable for all serious ancient-numismatic academics, historians, dealers, and amateurs alike”
coin-by-coin essays updated with the latest research
many improved photographs
new narrative on “How to Collect Ancient Coins, and What to Avoid,” written in Berk’s engaging style, with real-world guidance from his 55-plus years of experience
a three-page image gallery of denominations of ancient coins, showing 55 Greek, Roman, and Byzantine coins—gold, silver, bronze, and copper—ranging in size from the tiny 4.5 mm obol to the hefty 47 mm silver dodecadrachm
Collectors will be immersed in the fascinating world of ancient coins:
how to get started
where to find ancient coins
how to specialize
wise long-term decision-making
storage and insurance
buying online
how to authenticate ancient coins
grading, with illustrations from perfect Fleur de Coin (FDC) to worn Good condition
assigning value to ancient coins
the importance of artistic quality
numismatic organizations
recommended books, both general and specialized
Coffee-table-size, Hardcover, full color, with enlarged photographs and stories for every coin.
Binding: Hardcover
Edition: 2nd
Publication Date: March 2019
Size: 10x15
Pages: 144