Learning to use the research tools to unravel the intricate terminology of classification of antiquities is a formidable task. Van Keuren's work aims to enable students both to use these tools and to devise projects for their own research. After a major reference is presented, handbooks and monographs are successively identified in ways that suggest patterns of information. These patterns will allow students to formulate hypotheses to undertake original research. With use of the library collection, original questions can be asked and answered.

This volume is the first dedicated to the analysis of tokens ranging from the Neolithic until the modern age. The volume discusses tokens from different periods in detail, addressing the makers, users, types, and contexts of these objects. Unpublished material is presented in several of the contributions. This comparative approach reveals the recurring characteristics of tokens across time, as well as their importance to human society.