EUROPE. Grierson, Philip, Coins of Medieval Europe (Coins in History Series). London, B. A. Seaby Ltd., 1991. Hardback in the publisher?s dust jacket, 248 pages. ISBN 1-85264-058-8. A wide-ranging one-volume history of European coinage from the end of the Western Roman Empire to the eve of the modern period, revised and expanded from the author?s earlier French edition. Grierson moves clearly through the major monetary shifts of the Middle Ages, from early post-Roman issues and Carolingian reform to the spread of denier and pfennig systems, the later return of large silver and gold, and the growing variety of regional mints, denominations, and designs, always linking legends, types, and fabric to the political and economic world that produced them. Well illustrated with abundant photographs for easy comparison and study, and supported by concise references for further reading. A clean, well-kept copy with a bright jacket and crisp pages throughout.

Estimate: AUD 150