BOOK REVIEW: FRENCH COINAGE FOR COLONIAL AMERICA

Most collectors will use this book the way I initially did - as an attribution guide for 1670 Gloriam Regni coins, 1717 Perpignan coppers, and 1721-22 nine-denier coppers. For this purpose the book is without equal. I was able to attribute some low-grade nine-denier coppers with no trouble. Helpfully, in addition to providing an attribution guide, Syd also incorporates the first rarity ratings for these coins, including condition rarity for the Gloriam Regni and 1721-22 nine-denier coinages – the 1717 Perpignan coppers are so rare that almost all the known extant coins are discussed individually. Considering the scarcity of the Gloriam Regni and Perpignan coins contrasted with the abundance of 1721-22 nine-denier coppers, preparation of a rarity guide is an impressive accomplishment. Both the attribution guide and rarity tables are easy to use and understand. While I am sure future generations of collectors will build upon Syd’s work as more coins are examined, this book will never be surpassed in its breadth and scope of coverage of these coinages. Indeed, French Coinage Specifically for Colonial America is sure to be The reference for collectors interested in this area of numismatics.

More than half of the book is devoted to the 1721-22 nine-denier coppers that circulated in the central and southern United States for over 100 years. The 1721-22 nine-denier series is the most abundant and complex of the three coinages covered in the book, as it utilized the largest number of different obverse and reverse dies. As with the other series, the obverse and reverse of each nine-denier die variety is imaged with large black and white photographs of some of the finest known examples. The key diagnostic points are well illustrated and explained. In many instances, different die states of the same variety are shown. When two dies are substantially similar, as is the case, for example, with obverse dies 1.6 and 1.8 of the nine-denier coppers, Syd includes side-by-side comparison images of key differences to assist the collector in determining a match. I found this added feature to be very useful in identifying my coins. Indeed, this book should serve as an example regarding what must be included in a top-notch attribution guide.

1721 Nine-denier copper. Image courtesy of ANS.

French Colonial coins are one of the largest overlooked segments of American Colonial numismatics. As the title to the book states, these coins were all specifically manufactured for circulation in France’s North American colonies, including much of what is today the United States. Despite the fact that these coins were made for and circulated in America, they are mostly ignored by American collectors. I suspect this is in part because most collectors are like me and do not speak French; therefore, until now, there was no easy way to learn about or research these coins. Syd has largely solved this problem for non-French speaking collectors by obtaining, translating, and publishing the original source material relating to each series. I am overjoyed to see these contemporary documents along with an English translation published for the first time. By publishing and translating these materials, Syd has opened the door to numismatic research on these coinages for others.

The Colonial Coin Collectors Club and its members should be proud of their association with this work. In publishing this book, C4 has furthered its core mission to promote colonial numismatics and increase the public’s knowledge of colonial numismatics. French Coinage Specifically for Colonial America, by Sydney F. Martin, is available for $85, plus $7 shipping from bookseller Charles Davis (http://www.vcoins.com), Box 1, Wenham, MA 01984, or telephone 978-468-2933.

For more information on the Colonial Coin Collectors Club, see:
www.colonialcoins.org

To read an earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NEW BOOK: FRENCH COINAGE SPECIFICALLY FOR COLONIAL AMERICA (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v18n51a05.html)

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web