Lists 1500 entries in alphabetical order including names of coins, coining terms, persons, and places. Contains 450 illustrations.

Coins have occupied a vital role in trade and society since their very first usage in the ancient kingdoms of Turkey, China and India. This unparalleled world reference guide turns this complex history into an accessible chronicle, with coins illustrated from every coin-issuing country in the world. Through the course of these information-packed pages and 2500 color images, the reader can travel more than eight millennia, and gain inspiration on how and where to start a country or themed collection.

Encyclopaedias & Reference Works.

Learning to grade your coins couldn't be easier. Just match your coins with the color photos!

As the old saying goes, "Find a penny, pick it up, and all day long you'll have good luck." Now Kenneth Bressett, senior editor of the Guide Book of United States Coins (the "Red Book") and former president of the American Numismatic Association, has written the definitive reference to finding just how lucky you can be as a coin collector. From how to get started in the hobby to caring for your collection, with full explanations of grading standards, coin prices, and how to buy and sell, the Whitman Guide to Coin Collecting addresses everything clearly and with easy-to-follow detail. Squarely aimed at newcomers, this is a guide that covers all the different aspects of coin collecting-and in doing so brings a fun and potentially lucrative hobby home to readers everywhere. Book jacket.