Customer Rating: 
Summary: An easy way to get into Greek and Roman coin collecting
Comment: This well illustrated book is quick and easy to read and provides some basic information to for those intending to collect ancient Greek and Roman coins. It will help you recognize many common coins. It will allow you to interpret the inscriptions and in many cases the imagery on these coins. It is inexpensive.
Some things will not be found in it, however. Republican Roman coins (a fascinating area) are strangely not covered at all. There is no information regarding assessing the quality of coins, cleaning them, recognizing fakes, determining price or caring for your collection. For this type of information you should look at Wayne Sayles' more extensive series. For coin valuation David Sear is invaluable. This book is a cheap and simple way to form an impression about ancient Greek and Roman coin collecting. Eventually, recognizing that the price of almost any coin described in the book is far greater than that of the book itself, serious collectors will want to invest in more extensive reference sources. One must start somewhere however, and this is a good place to do so.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Lots of Pictures
Comment: I read only the part of this book dedicated to Greek coins (my area of interest) and learned much. There are many (black & white) pictures of coins as well as text dedicated to the inscriptions and people/gods found on the coins. However, the amount of information contained barely scratches the surface of the subject matter. I would buy the book again, but will continue to look for another title with more in-depth information.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great book for the beginner
Comment: I was very pleased with this book. It is basically a beginners guide to Greek and Roman coin collecting. It tells the step by step history of coins, which is extremely useful to the beginner. I was able to identify many of my coins just by the history lesson of coin casting. It even helps you read the writing on the coins. Many, many photoes and drawings. I think a more seasoned coin collector may not find to useful, but for the beginner it is gold. You can get it for $10 or so used. Why wouldn't you buy it?
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Tale of Two Books
Comment: Klawans has written what really is a tale of two books and *both* of them are great. An Outline of Greek Coins begins with the telling of how coins were made. Klawans includes more than Greek coins. Lydian and Judean coins are also mentioned. Can't find Persian coins? Have a look for Darius and Daric.Reading and Dating Roman Imperial coins begins with coinage before the empire. Most helpful in this part of the book are the explanations for abbreviations found on Roman coins. Take as an example IMP CAES DOMIT AUG GERM COSXIII CENSPER PP. This means: Imperator, Caesar, his name Domitian, Augustus, Germanicus, the 13th year of his consulship, the chief magistrate of the Roman State or Censor Perpetus, and father of his country Pater Patriae.
Klawans is an indispensable handbook, and the first book I reach for when I want to know something about ancient coinage.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Handbook of Ancient Greek and Roman Coins
Comment: This is a great book! If you are going to start collecting Greek and Roman coins, you should buy this book. It tells you all about how to read the coins and what type and variety of coins were made. No instruction on grading or coin values are given, but still a must book for the beginner.
