5 Books on Understanding and Collecting Roman Coinage

[Primus Pilus]

Money and Government in the Roman Empire by Richard Duncan-Jones.

Provides an in depth review of Roman monetary policy by one of the foremost authorities on the subject. It focuses on the imperial era, but provides tremendous detail on all aspect of the Roman economy.

 

Coinage in the Roman Economy, 300 B.C. to A.D. 700 by Kenneth Harl.

An exceptional blend of economic history and numismatic resources. This book bridges the gap between in depth historical insight and the introduction to specific coin issues. Dr. Harl is also quite open to challenging conventional wisdom on the state of the Roman economy while offering sound alternatives.

 

Handbook of Roman Imperial Coins: A Complete Guide to the History, Types and Values of Roman Imperial Coinage by David Van Meter.

An excellent introduction to collecting Roman coins. If there is one book that a novice collector should own it is this one (considering its broad overview and relative affordability). There are more advanced studies, but Van Meter's book is an exceptional beginning.

 

Ancient Coin Collecting by Wayne Sales.

This is the first in a comprehensive 6 volume set on collecting ancient coins. Perhaps introductory in comparison to other volumes, it is probably the most widely used set based on both price and quality of information.

 

Roman Coins and Their Values by David Sear.

This is the first in a 4 volume comprehensive set. It's terribly expensive (roughly $85 per book) but might be considered the bible of the ancient numismatic industry. The Sear numbering system is widely used in cataloging and identifying ancient coins.

 

Honorable mention: H.A. Seaby's numerous volumes on coinage.