Antike Numismatik. Einführung und Bibliographie.

?The conversion of numismatics from a merely antiquarian pursuit into a science, which deals with monetary history as a part of more general history and provides evidence for enquiry in related fields, is a desirable, if elusive prospect. This handbook is a useful step in the right direction. After a brief introduction on the nature and history of the subject, Professor Christ goes through the various coin-producing areas and periods of the ancient world. Brief accounts of the problems of each group are followed by bibliographical references. Special sections cover minting techniques and related topics, medallions and contorniates, finds and forgeries. The discussions which form part of each chapter are particularly valuable in that they go some way towards explaining what one might call ?the rules of numismatic evidence?. (?) It would also be worth articulating clearly the principle that investigation of the coinage should be preceded by knowledge of its historical background; most numismatic disasters are caused by neglect of this principle. But on the whole C. has produced a very successful aid to study, intelligently constructed and easy to consult.? (M.H. CRAWFORD in The Journal of Roman Study, 1970, p.265).