Archaeological Journal/Volume 1/Notices of New Publications: Ancient Coins of Cities and Princes
Such a guide to the collector and student of coins struck in the cities and provinces of the ancient world has long been required. The great work of Eckhel is expensive, and new discoveries have rendered it as a perfect list exceedingly incomplete, particularly in regard to the coins of ancient Spain, with which Mr. Akerman's geographical arrangement commences. The "Description" of Mionnet, excellent and most useful as it has been found, is yet very incorrect, and the little attention that had been paid to paleographical studies (a subject with which Eckhel seemed averse to grapple) at the period of the commencement of that work, has led him in some instances to confound the coins of three or four cities of Bætica, merely because their types resembled each other, though the inscriptions were altogether dissimilar. Moreover, from the number of supplements, Mionnet's work, until it be entirely remodelled, will be as troublesome for reference as it is costly to the numismatic student. To remedy these defects, and to afford to the less wealthy collector the information to be found only in many expensive volumes, is the object of the present undertaking, which has the additional advantage of being accompanied by most accurate engravings of every coin to which the editor can obtain access in the cabinets, both private and public, of England and the continent; almost every individual specimen in which, if purchasable, would perhaps cost the price of half a dozen numbers of this publication. It is scarcely necessary to add that this cannot be a pecuniary speculation, and that nothing but an ardent love of the subject, could have led the author to undertake a work requiring so much patience and labour, research and application. c. r. smith.