History, sovereignty, geography and money are timely topics in todays global economic marketplace.
Money has attracted a major part of mankind’s attention since its invention in Asia Minor in the 7th century B.C. It has had many uses over the ages beyond its original development for purposes of long distance trade and military power. Among the most important and least studied is the use of money as a means of communication through their designs and legends. A nation’s money is often the first impression a visitor gets of the nature of a country. As such, the designs and legends placed on money have always been considered important by the authorities responsible for their issue. Often, these authorities have risen beyond the demands of simple utility and required that their currency be beautiful as well as useful. The focus of this ebook is on the stories behind the design and legends placed on gold coins since the invention of the Western coin tradition in ancient Anatolia some 2650 years ago.
Each coin's obverse and reverse listed below in the table of contents is shown in a beautiful large color photo in this ebook.
1st edition 2008; 79 pages.
- Contents
- Introduction
- The Origins of Money
- The Greek Tradition
- The Chinese Tradition
- The Indian Tradition
- Coinage as a means of Communication
- The Future of Money – Electronic Media
- Lydian stater of King Croesus
- Persian Gold Stater
- Gold Octodrachm of Ptolemy III, 246 – 221 BC
- Gold Aureus of Claudius
- Gold stater of Huvishka, 143 – 180 AD
- Gold solidus of Constantius II, 337 – 361 AD
- Gold Solidus of Heraclius, 610 – 641 AD
- Gold Tremissis of Wittiza, 698-710 AD
- Gold Augustale of Frederick II, 1197 – 1250 AD
- Gold Ecu a la Couronne of Charles VI, 1385
- Gold Salut d’or of Henry VI, 1422 – 1471
- Gold 20 Excellente of Ferdinand and Isabella, 1479-1504
- Gold Ducat of Charles V
- Gold Mohur of Jahangir, 1622 AD
- Gold Triple Unite of Charles I
- Gold 3 Ducat of John Casimir
- Gold 8 Escudos of Philip V of Spain, 1715
- Gold Eagle of the United States, 1795
- Gold 40 Francs of Napoleon
- Gold Mohur of the British East India Company, 1819
- Gold 8 Escudos of Argentina
- U.S. ‘metric gold’ Stella, Flowing hair design, 1879
- Gold 20 Dala of Queen Lilliuocalani
- Gold 10 Dollars of the Republic of China -1916
- Gold 15 Rupees of German East Africa – 1916
- Gold 50 Soles of Peru, 1930
- Gold 5 Franc Pattern of the Democratic Republic of Congo
- Numismatic Bibliography
