Coins

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In this book, John Porteous surveys the history of coinage in the western world from its emergence in Greece in the seventh century BC until the present day. Coins are often objects of great beauty; they provide a range of portraits of monarchs and dictators that are important to the iconography of the ages, and much can be learned about the economic and political history of a country from their changing designs and values. These themes are traced through Greek and Roman history, the Byzantine period, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance in Western Europe to more modern times, when the coinage of various countries underwent constant change in technique, design, and monetary purpose. The illustrations not only amplify the text but also provide the reader with some of the finest examples of an art that has flourished for 2,500 years.