The E-Sylum:  Volume 11, Number 7, February 17, 2008, Article 6

NEW BOOK: WHITMAN'S "100 GREATEST ANCIENT COINS" BY HARLAN BERK

[Dennis Tucker forwarded the following press release
announcing the latest title in Whitman's "100 greatest"
series.  -Editor]

Whitman Publishing announces the release of 100 Greatest
Ancient Coins, by Harlan J. Berk, available in April 2008.
In this beautifully illustrated book, one of America’s
best-known ancient-coin dealers takes the reader on a
personal guided tour of the numismatic antiquities of
Greece, Rome, the Byzantine Empire, and other parts of
the ancient world.

100 Greatest Ancient Coins is the fifth entry in Whitman
Publishing’s 100 Greatest library. It follows books that
showcase coins, currency notes, medals and tokens, and
stamps of the United States—in fact, it is the first title
of the 100 Greatest family to focus on non–U.S. collectibles.
This reflects Whitman’s solid background in world-coin and
ancient-coin numismatics. 100 Greatest Ancient Coins joins
such works as Coins of the Bible (Friedberg), the Handbook
of Ancient Greek and Roman Coins (Klawans), and the award-
winning Money of the Bible (Bressett). It also heralds
forthcoming books in the field, such as Collecting Ancient
Greek Coins (Rynearson) for beginning and intermediate
collectors, and the Guide Book of Overstruck Greek Coins:
Studies in Greek Chronology and Monetary Theory (MacDonald)
for more advanced students.

“Each of the 100 Greatest was voted into place by leading
coin dealers, researchers, and historians,” says Whitman
publisher Dennis Tucker. Inside the reader will find prized
and seldom-seen rarities—the unique and high-valued pieces
that collectors dream about. The book also explores more
readily available and widely popular ancient coins: pieces
so beautiful or with such strange and fascinating stories
that everybody wants one.

In the introduction, which includes a historical narrative,
the author describes how to collect and enjoy ancient coins,
aspects of the marketplace, grading, conservation, and
smart buying.

A two-page spread is devoted to each of coins No. 1 through
No. 10, with Nos. 11 through 100 enjoying a full page. In
the banner at the top of each page is the coin’s rank; a
descriptive title; the city, state, or region from which
it hails; and its date of striking (or an approximation).
Beneath is an enlarged illustration of the coin; a notation
of its actual size in millimeters; a summary of market
trends and values; and, ghosted in the background, the
numerals of its 1–100 rank. This is followed by an essay
that sets the coin in its historical foundation and describes
the virtues of its numismatic greatness. At the bottom of
the page, a timeline charts the coin’s position in time,
with the birth of Christ noted for context.

The book is rounded out by a gallery of relative sizes,
showing each coin in its actual diameter; a biography of
author Harlan J. Berk; credits and acknowledgments; and
a selected bibliography for further reading.

“100 Greatest Ancient Coins is not just a price guide or
a fancy picture book,” says Tucker. “It’s a time machine
that takes the reader to a hundred different points in
world history. And it’s a fascinating introduction to
the hobby of collecting these important coins.”

Emperors and charlatans, owls and turtles, gods and
goddesses, military heroes and villainous rogues—all of
these and more await the reader in 100 Greatest Ancient
Coins.

The book is coffee-table-size, 144 pages, full color,
with photographs and stories for every coin. Retail
price is $29.95. 100 Greatest Ancient Coins will be
available April 2008 at hobby shops and bookstores
nationwide.

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization 
promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

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