foreign publications
Cribb Joe, Cook Barrie, Carradice Ian - The Coin Atlas. The World of Coinage from Its Origins to the Present Day, New York 1990, ISBN 0816020973
337 pages, hardcover with wrapper, format approx. 22 x 26.5 cm, a synthetic study of the minting of individual countries, supplemented with maps and images of selected coins.
Coin Atlas, is a book presenting the history of world minting, from its beginnings in the seventh century BC to the present day. Alexander the Great, Cleopatra and Napoleon appear alongside other rulers, figures whose existence is known only from the coins they issued. The book traces the development of four distinct monetary traditions: the Mediterranean, Indian, Chinese and Islamic, and the origins and development of minting in each country of the world are presented in a concise historical context. Described are when and why new currencies and denominations were introduced, what they were made of, how they were designed and carried inscriptions, and how they functioned in circulation. More than 100 maps, closely linked to the text, show how coins such as the denarius, doubloon and dollar, among others, influenced the development of international trade and the development of monetary systems. Additional maps show the distribution of minting centers around the world.
The atlas is divided into five sections, each dealing with one of the world's five continents. In Europe, the craftsmanship of ancient Greek coins and siege money from the English Civil War are represented; in Asia, hoe and knife-shaped coins from ancient China and the massive gold coins of the Mughal emperors in India; in Africa, Ptolemaic wealth from ancient Egypt and gold from Guinea; in America, eight-real coins from Spain's treasure fleet and the development of the mighty U.S. dollar; in Australia, the "hole dollar" from New South Wales, and so on. In the case of Poland, the coins of Ladislaus I Herman, Boleslaus IV the Curly, Mieszko III the Old, Ladislaus Jagiello, Stefan Batory, Sigismund III Vasa, Stanislaus Augustus Poniatowski, the November Uprising, Tsar Alexander I, the WMG or the Second Republic, among others, are presented The book contains more than 1,800 photos and illustrations, and the text is cross-referenced in detail. Each entry includes a table with instant information on coins, mints, weights and measures, among others, as well as a glossary of terms and a comprehensive index.
