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V29 2026 INDEX       E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 29, Number 20, 2026, Article 3

NEW BOOK: COINAGES IN THE ACHAEMENID EMPIRE

The University of Edinburgh has published a new book by Keith Rutter on coinage of the Achaemenid Empire. Found via the Oriental Numismatic Society, courtesy David Fanning. -Editor

Coinages in the Achaemenid Empire
Keith Rutter

Coinages in the Achaemenid Empire book cover Brings together the evidence for coin production and use over the whole Achaemenid Empire

  • Demonstrates how the actual production of coins was a phenomenon mostly confined to the western satrapies of the empire
  • Unlike other studies of ancient coinage which focus on its spread westward into Greek lands after its invention in Asia Minor, this book looks east, to communities and kingdoms where the dominant culture was often not Greek
  • Treats coins as part of the wider context of exchange and resource allocation in the empire

The Achaemenid Empire was huge and the material available for studying it is disparate. The coinages produced in the empire offer distinctive perspectives and provide insights into crucial questions about how the empire was organised and administered. The numismatic evidence is particularly important due to its first hand, contemporary nature: it speaks to us directly, not through the prism of later accounts.

Keith Rutter, an international specialist in numismatics, provides us with the first comprehensive account of the great variety of coinages produced in the Achaemenid Empire. He shows us how the iconography found on coins poses new questions on artistic influences, details of administration and religious beliefs. This highly illustrated book is the starting point for anyone who wants to understand the topic.

234 mm x 156mm
376 pages
258 colour illustrations
Edinburgh Studies in Ancient Persia v Published July 2026 (Hardback)

ISBN
Hardback: 9781474492713
Ebook (app): 9781474492744
Ebook (PDF): 9781474492737

For more information, or to order, see:
Coinages in the Achaemenid Empire (https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-coinages-in-the-achaemenid-empire.html)
Coinages in the Achaemenid Empire (Edinburgh Studies in Ancient Persia) (https://www.amazon.com/Coinages-Achaemenid-Edinburgh-Studies-Ancient/dp/1474492711/ref=sr_1_1)

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Wayne Homren, Editor

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

To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com

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