183 illustrations in colour and black and white. In this richly illustrated 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 in themselves; they provide a range of portraits of monarchs and dictators which is important to the iconography of the ages, and much can be learnt 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 France, Italy, Germany, England, the United States and other countries underwent constant change in technique, design and monetary purpose. The illustrations, 32 in colour and 151 in black-and-white not only amplify the text but also provide the reader with some of the finest examples of an art which has flourished for 2,500 years.