The Handbook of Greek Coinage Series

by

Oliver D. Hoover

More than three decades have passed since David Sear published Greek Coins & Their Values, his revision of Gilbert Askew's A Catalogue of Greek Coins published by B. A. Seaby in 1951. Since then, the field of ancient numismatics and the hobby of collecting ancient coins have changed so much that now Greek Coins & Their Values would require a complete revision to include all of the most current numismatic information available, list the many new types and varieties unknown to Sear, and determine an approximate sense of rarity for all of these issues. In order to encompass this new material and create a viable reference for the beginning and specialized collector, such a handbook would have to be more than the two volumes, which Sear found necessary. As a result, Classical Numismatic Group is publishing The Handbook of Greek Coinage, written by Oliver D. Hoover, in a series of 13 volumes, each covering a specified area of Greek coinage. Completion of the series is expected within five years.

This series is designed to aid the user in the quick, accurate, and relatively painless identification of Greek coins, while providing a cross-reference for each entry to a major work, which will allow the inquirer to pursue more in-depth research on the subject. The subject-matter of each volume is arranged chronologically for royal issues, and regionally for the civic issues; within each region, cities are listed directionally, depending on the region. For those rulers or cities that issued coins concurrently in all three metals, these issues will be arranged in the catalog with gold first, followed by silver, and then bronze; each metal is arranged by denomination, largest to smallest. Known mints for the royal coinage are listed below the appropriate type, making an easy search for a specific mint. Each entry includes a rarity rating based on the frequency with which they appear in publications, public and private collections, the market, and/or are estimated to exist in public or private hands. No valuations are listed in the printed book, since such values are generally out of date by the time of publication. A web-based valuation guide at www.greekcoinvalues.com, updated periodically, will allow users to gauge the market and reduce the need for repeated updates of this series.

The Next Published Volume in the Handbook of Greek Coinage Series

Hoover, Oliver D. Handbook of Coins of the Islands: Adriatic, Ionian, Thracian, Aegean, and Carpathian Seas (excluding Crete and Cyprus), Sixth to First Centuries BC [The Handbook of Greek Coinage Series, Volume 6]. With a Foreword by Richard Ashton. 2010. Hardbound, lxxxii + 348 pages, including maps and indices. (GR335) $65

The latest published volume in the series is Handbook of Coins of the Islands: Adriatic, Ionian, Thracian, Aegean, and Carpathian Seas (excluding Crete and Cyprus), Sixth to First Centuries BC (Volume 6 in the series). This volume contains not only many extreme rarities and issues of some of the more obscure islands, but it also includes most of the major island mints like Thasos, Aegina, Rhodes, Kos, and Samos. This volume is arranged geographically from the Adriatic Sea eastward to the Carpathian Sea, from north to south, and with each island entry within each sea in alphabetical order. The coinage within each city is arranged chronologically, beginning with the Archaic issues and continuing through the later civic issues in the name of Alexander. Where rulers or cities issued coins concurrently in all three metals, these issues will be arranged in the catalog with gold first, followed by silver, and then bronze; each metal is arranged by denomination, largest to smallest.

Also in The Handbook of Greek Coinage Series

Hoover, Oliver D. Handbook of Syrian Coins: Royal and Civic Issues, Fourth to First Centuries BC [The Handbook of Greek Coinage Series, Volume 9]. 2009. lxxviii and 332 numbered pp. (GR338) $65

The first published volume in the series is Handbook of Syrian Coins: Royal and Civic Issues, Fourth to First Centuries BC (Volume 9 in the series). This series is designed to aid the user in the quick, accurate, and relatively painless identification of Greek coins, while providing a cross-reference for each entry to a major work, which will allow the inquirer to pursue more in-depth research on the subject. The subject-matter of each volume is arranged chronologically for royal issues, and regionally for the civic issues; within each region, cities are listed directionally, depending on the region. For those rulers or cities that issued coins concurrently in all three metals, these issues will be arranged in the catalog with gold first, followed by silver, and then bronze; each metal is arranged by denomination, largest to smallest. Known mints for the royal coinage are listed below the appropriate type, making an easy search for a specific mint.

Hoover, Oliver D. Handbook of Coins of the Southern Levant: Phoenicia, Southern Koile Syria (Including Judaea), and Arabia, Fifth to First Centuries BC [The Handbook of Greek Coinage Series, Volume 10]. With a Foreword by David Hendin. 2010. lxxix and 201 numbered pp. (GR339) $65

The second published volume in the series is Handbook of Coins of the Southern Levant: Phoenicia, Southern Koile Syria (Including Judaea), and Arabia, Fifth to First Centuries BC (Volume 10 in the series). This volume is arranged geographically from north to south with each region's city entries in alphabetical order. The coinage within each city is arranged chronologically and begins with the royal issues during the Persian Empire (as is the case with the cities of Phoenicia), through the issues of Alexander the Great (both lifetime issues and those later civic issues in his name). Where rulers or cities issued coins concurrently in all three metals, these issues will be arranged in the catalog with gold first, followed by silver, and then bronze; each metal is arranged by denomination, largest to smallest.