NEW BOOK: THE GALATA GUIDE TO MEDIEVAL HALF GROATS

This is to inform you of the publication of a new numismatic book : The Galata Guide to MEDIEVAL HALF GROATS by D I Greenhalgh. This was launched at the British Association of Numismatic Societies Congress at Cambridge on Saturday 10th April, where one of the books was donated by the publishers and the author as a raffle prize in aid of the Association. After that, delegates who had been unsuccessful in the raffle, were able to purchase a copy by the usual means, and the author was signing them.

The book is the third in the expanding Galata Guide series, which offers the best and latest in the way of scholarship on a diverse series of numismatic subjects. In this instance, the author, who is undoubtedly the leading authority and collector of English halfgroats of the medieval period has been collecting and studying the coins for 30 years.

The research for this guide involved him travelling to over 130 museums throughout the UK and the rest of Europe to study, record and photograph their holdings of relevant coins. He was also privileged to view important private and trade collections which were not normally available to view.

The Guide records numerous previously unrecorded types and varieties. There are over 1000 images life-sized and enlarged alongside over 500 photo-illustrations to produce as good an illustration as is possible. Computer enhancement techniques have been used to profile the salient points of variations to enable easier identification.

This work is already receiving acclaim by numismatists as being the definitive guide to medieval halfgroats.

Some people will know the author better as Grunal, or Dave the Moneyer from his appearances as a moneyer in full kit, making coins at the Tower of London, the British Museum, or a dozen and one other places.

The book is A4, has 174 pages, and is PB, with laminated card covers. The cover blurb says that it is :

• The definitive guide to medieval half groats.
• Useful for all collectors from the absolute beginner to the most advanced.
• Illustrated with enlarged photographs for easy recognition.
• Important identification points highlighted by photo illustrations taken from the actual coins.
• Previously unpublished types and varieties are included.
• The Mints covered are: London, Bristol, Calais, Canterbury, Coventry, Norwich and York.
• Includes a concordance with all major reference works relating to half groats.
• Includes forgeries, alterations, reproductions and electrotypes.
• Includes a handy roadmap to the identification of types.
• Essential for the archaeologist, collector, metal detector user, and museum curator.

£45 incl UK postage. (US 80$) incl. airmail postage.

What the blurb doesn't say is that the book is only available directly from the publisher. However, directly we had sent information to the ISBN system, the information was lifted by various folk all over the world and it was apparently available not only available via Amazon, but in almost all major bookstores throughout the UK, and in many minor ones too, not to mention in such places as far away as Norway, The Netherlands, and Japan.

And all this before the book was actually printed ! Not only that, but some of the people had lifted the cover illustration to go with the book details. Such is modern marketing by those who like to make an unwarranted and undeserved profit from the labour of other people, all without very much cost or effort to themselves ! So, despite what you see on the web it is ONLY available from GALATA. For more details of the book and the author see www.galata.co.uk and double-click on “Click here for details of new publications”

Wayne Homren, Editor

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