Coins of the ancient world

A fascinating introduction to ancient coins and collecting that is both an art book and an initiation.

Who has never dreamed of taking a close look, or perhaps even handling - or, still better, actually owning - a priceless coin of the ancient world? Minted in electrum, gold, silver, or bronze, coins were once the booty of conquest, the substance of princely, royal, and imperial treasures, and are now the pride of the world's major museums.

The collection illustrated and discussed in this book is a fine demonstration of what can be accomplished through individual interest, effort, and patience, plus an awareness that leaves room for spontaneous impulses when guided by adequate advice and documented counsel. The result is an accumulated heritage that can be bequeathed to future generations.

The collector known as JDL has always been drawn to beauty and exemplarity, his choices have been guided by balance and harmony. Here he presents us with remarkable evidence of the genius of master engravers of the ancient world who, inspired by the muses, were the first to forge monetary art and techniques.

The examples illustrated here also reflect another penchant of the man who collected them - a love of travel, a desire to explore the ancient world from one end to the other. The geographical scope of this collection adds further coherence to a set of coins that covers a thousand-year period starting at the very dawn of coinage in the sixth century BCE.