The Naval Meritorious Service Medal is an account of the development of the medal which largely replaced the Distinguished Service Medal from 1918 as an award for acts of gallantry not under enemy fire, as well as providing an appropriate award to recognise the many men who provided long and meritorious service. This medal has previously remained largely un-researched but this account draws together the surviving recommendations for these awards, providing an analysis of the campaigns for which the awards were made as well as detailing the Army and Royal Air Force Meritorious Service Medal awards made to Naval personnel. The work provides a definitive history of these awards, and is a fitting companion to the author’s previous work detailing the history of the Distinguished Service Medal.

The United Kingdom was the last major nation-state in the world to adopt decimal currency, 50 years ago in 1971. Why was it so slow to do so? What changed politicians’ and peoples’ minds about it in the 1960s? Were Britain’s plans to join the EEC influential? What was the impact of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand going decimal several years earlier? Or did it simply happen because of common sense, with a decimal system so much easier to learn and use than pounds, shillings and pence? The route to find the right designs was a complex one, with interfering politicians, struggling artists, and at one stage an angry Duke of Edinburgh! It took over five years to get there, and then there was the seven-sided 50 pence – a design classic we would say today, but what did the media and public think of it when it was launched in 1969? When Britain Went Decimal takes readers through the changeover leading to D-Day (decimalisation day), and beyond: how smooth and successful was the process? Did newspapers secretly hope it would fail? While decimalisation might have seemed right at the time, did it lead to inflation, as many people believe today? Entertainingly written and beautifully illustrated, this first book on decimalisation since 1973 attempts to answer all these questions and more, looking as much at the design – indeed the ‘art’ behind the new coinage – as at social, economic and political history.

This meticulously researched and fully illustrated catalogue details all of the paper money of the Banco Nacional Ultramarino used in the five Portuguese African colonies of Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Portuguese Guinea and Saint Thomas & Prince, between 1865 and 1975.

The book discusses and catalogues Charles Masson’s 1833–8 collections from the urban site of Begram and Kabul bazaar. It utilises Masson archival material which appears as a supplementary BM online publication The Charles Masson Archive: British Library, British Museum and Other Documents Relating to the 1832–1838 Masson Collection from Afghanistan: http://www.britishmuseum. org/pdf/Masson%20archive%20Vol.%202.pdf The catalogued objects will be selected from c. 7600 coins and c. 1500 artefacts from Begram and Kabul bazaar now in the British Museum, supplemented by illustrated coins recorded in Masson's archival manuscripts (F526/1a) and in H.H. Wilson (Ariana Antiqua London 1841), but no longer in the collection. A key resource will be the records and images of all the artefacts already available on the Museum’s Collection online database: http://www.

Extensively illustrated, each entry includes details on dates, mints, personalities, weight standard, important variations, and the history and meaning of the legend and design. Detailed information about the late Roman bronze coinage system. Extensive introductory notes in Chapter One discuss the life-cycle of late Roman bronze coins (manufacture, circulation, loss and the effects of burial) as well as their weight, fineness standards and contemporary value. The introductory sections of the subsequent chapters, each of which is dedicated to a short time period, cover the history of that period and the metrology (weight, size and metallic composition), overall pattern, and mint and field marks of the coinage of those years. First detailed examination of the coinage of this period by reverse design. By examining late Roman bronze coinage through the study of reverse types, this book provides different insights from those gained through an examination of the coinage by Mint (as found in The Roman Imperial Coinage series) or by emperor (as found in the Roman Coins and their Values series). Many major numismatic works covering this time period are out of date. This Handbook incorporates the latest numismatic scholarship and includes extensive footnotes and bibliography. The easy to use (indexed and cross-referenced) catalogue entries will be of interest to collectors, cataloguers and researchers. The historical and metrological discussions will appeal to scholars, numismatists and students. A focus on reverse types provides scholars working with hoards or site finds with much greater insight into dates and other aspects of the coinage than simply identifying the emperor.

Published to coincide with the 104th anniversary of the most important sea battle of World War I, this comprehensive catalogue lists all orders, decorations and MIDs awarded for the Battle of Jutland, grouped according to the ships, with citations where available, and a description of the ship and her role in the battle.The Battle of Jutland was the only action between the battle fleets of the UK and Germany; 151 British ships, with a total of about 60,000 sailors, took part. Of these, 13 ships were sunk and over 6,000 British sailors were killed. Over 2,000 honours were awarded, including four Victoria Crosses, 47 DSOs, over 200 DSMs and other decorations, and MIDs were awarded for gallantry and distinguished service. Awards from France and Russia are also included.The VCs are well documented but, with regard to most of the other awards, it is difficult or impossible to identify the ship in which the man was serving. This book will therefore be of great interest to medal collectors, when reading the citation for an award, to know the ship referred to, and to find how many awards were made to each ship, in addition to giving a fascinating background to his most iconic of naval battles.

Welche Bedeutung griechische Münzbilder in der Antike hatten, ist in der Forschung vielfach hinterfragt und äußerst divergent beantwortet worden. Selten sind Münzen und deren Bildmotive zeitlich und regional übergreifend untersucht worden, denn meist stehen ikonografische Betrachtungen von einzelnen Münztypen innerhalb eines eng umrissenen Zeitraums im Vordergrund. Ulrike Wolf legt mit ihrer Dissertationsschrift „Vernetzte Bilder“ eine Arbeit vor, bei der die Diskussion der Rolle von Münzbildern innerhalb des Machtdiskurses im gesamten westlichen Mittelmeerraum von 500-100 v. Chr. im Fokus steht. Um zu einem umfassenden Verständnis für die Entwicklung der frühen Münzen und ihrer Funktion zu gelangen, eignet sich der westliche Mittelmeerraum in ganz besonderer Weise. So führten ab dem 8. Jh. v. Chr. langjährige Handelskontakte zwischen iberischen, italischen, etruskischen, griechischen und phönizischen Kaufleuten und Bevölkerungsgruppen zu dedizierten Gründungen von Handelsniederlassungen (ἐμπόρια) und Siedlungen (ἀποικίαι). Ab 500 v. Chr. wird die Region jedoch wiederkehrend durch das Eingreifen externer Machtzentren wie zum Beispiel Athen, Rom und Karthago destabilisiert. Zeitgleich setzt nun auch im gesamten westlichen Mittelmeerraum eine umfang- und variantenreiche Münzprägung ein, die eine Untersuchung darüber ermöglicht, ob und wie Münzen zur Kommunikation über Machtverhältnisse, Abhängigkeiten und Allianzen eingesetzt werden. Die vorliegende Publikation zeichnet sich insbesondere durch die Berücksichtigung des lokalen Kontexts und der überregionalen Verbreitung der Bildträger aus. Auf der Grundlage des Verständnisses der „longue dureé“ sowie der Kombination aus quantitativer Analyse und qualitativer Untersuchung besonders signifikanter Beispiele ergibt sich ein tieferes Verständnis der Bildfindungsprozesse in der griechisch-römischen Antike. Das Vorgehen, das Münzbild nicht isoliert anhand der Prägestätte zu betrachten, sondern alle beteiligten Orte als Teilnehmer in einem mediterranen Netzwerk zu verstehen, ist nicht zuletzt auch im Sinne globale Märkte und Strukturen, ein Thema unserer Zeit. English abstract Greek coins from antiquity are well known for their fascinating and elaborately executed design. While research on the iconography of specific types of coins, minted within a limited timeframe, is still the gold standard, an analysis of key imagery on a supra-regional level and over a longer period provides a more promising approach to questions of image emergence. In this thesis "Entangled Images", Ulrike Wolf demonstrates the usefulness of a discussion, that focusses on the role coin images have played in the discourse of power of the Western Mediterranean area from 500-100 BC. To understand the processes that lead to the emergence of these images on coins, the author combines quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis and applies a longue durée perspective. Starting with the local contexts of image production, she follows the supra-regional spread of the iconography in the Greco-Roman world.

Published to commemorate the 50th anniversary of decimalisation in February 2021, this compact book gives a general introduction to the biggest reform to the UK currency in its 1500-year history. The planning and implementation of decimalisation is covered from different angles including the role of the Decimal Currency Board, the production of new coins at the Royal Mint, as well as the preparation of businesses and the public for ‘D-Day’. Combining political and social aspects of the currency reform, it contextualises important moments and key challenges within a clear and compelling narrative. Featuring exclusive interviews and profiles of the people involved – from shop workers to the designer of the coinage – this entertaining book will immerse the reader in early 1970s Britain, at an important moment in its history.

The Coins of England and the United Kingdom Pre-Decimal and Decimal volumes together comprise the Standard Catalogue of British Coins, with the pre-decimal issues under Elizabeth II (and all previous coinage) listed in a separate volume. This volume of Decimal issues under Elizabeth II gives a comprehensive overview of all individual coins and sets issued by the Royal Mint since 1971 (and in circulation since 1968), offering an authoritative catalogue of modern British coins.

This brand new comprehensive guide – the first of its kind on English gold coinage – covers every type of English gold coin and includes many new varieties, along with current prices. The arrangement is by monarch, with accompanying Bull reference numbers cross-referenced to the Standard Catalogue of British Coins. The section on Provenances lists the instances of illustrations of coins and where they have appeared, potentially proving the existence of many rare examples or those only rumoured to exist. Rarity of the coins has also been looked at in light of current evidence. English Gold Coinage is a record of the major and many minor recognised types and die-varieties of English gold coins. This indispensible guide is truly the essential handbook for any collector of English gold coinage.

This new 7th edition offers an update to Maurice Bull's previous volume, with new varieties, corrections and rarity values. The arrangement is again done by monarch rather than denomination, and all Bull reference numbers are cross-referenced to the 5th edition. English Silver Coinage is a record of the major and many minor recognised types and die-varieties of English silver coins. This indispensable guide is truly the essential handbook for any collector of English silver coinage.

Stamps are not only small masterpieces of design, but give a wealth of information about world history, reflecting monumental historical events and often telling fascinating stories about the people caught up in them. With over 18 full-page illustrations to colour in, each accompanied by a contextual history, alongside colouring activities to make and create, this book provides hours of fun for stamp enthusiasts of all ages.

Who were the Kushan? Why does a powerful Central Asian empire that thrived for centuries rarely appear in world history books? To address questions raised by this obscure yet highly influential period of ancient history, David Jongeward, author of Kushan Mystique, presents a personal narrative, something of a travel memoir, along with profiles of people he encountered during his research into the Kushan era. The story begins in a lakeside cottage in northern California, where friendship with an eccentric country doctor prompted the author’s evolving interest in Kushan coinage and the Buddhist sculpture of ancient Gandhara. The narrative includes meetings with key players among a handful of specialists, including coin collectors, museum curators and historians who have been captivated by the Kushan mystique. This book brings alive the rewarding insights derived from the author’s museum-based research, together with discoveries inspired by visits to virtually unknown major archaeological sites in Pakistan that date to the Kushan era.

The fourth edition of this standard reference catalogue has been fully updated, with a revised section on the Anglo-Gallic coinage - namely those coins struck in France by the kings and princes of England between 1154 and 1453 - with new information and current prices throughout. It is the essential guide for any collector in this fascinating area of British coinage.

This is the first volume (of three) of David Sear’s brand new introductory guide to ancient coins, covering Greek civic coins and tribal issues, and the very first release in Spink’s new Living History series.Ancient coins have long fascinated generations of collectors by virtue of their beauty, the stories they tell, and for the unique insight they give into the history of the time in which they were made. They can be held, felt and examined without the need for visiting a museum – they are, quite literally, living history. David Sear’s three volume guide is intended to give a general background to the fascinating world of ancient coins, looking back more than 26 centuries to the lands of the eastern Mediterranean, at how coins were designed and produced, and at how they can reveal so much to us today of the time in which they were produced.David Sear is among the most notable numismatic authors writing today; his seminal texts have become the standard handbooks for collectors of ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine coinage. His Introductory Guide is intended as an approachable and informative introduction to the hobby, and is a must for anyone interested in the history of the ancient Greek and Roman world.

More coin hoards have been recorded from Roman Britain than from any other province of the Empire. This comprehensive and lavishly illustrated volume provides a survey of over 3260 hoards of Iron Age and Roman coins found in England and Wales with a detailed analysis and discussion.Theories of hoarding and deposition and examined, national and regional patterns in the landscape settings of coin hoards presented, together with an analysis of those hoards whose findspots were surveyed and of those hoards found in archaeological excavations. It also includes an unprecedented examination of the containers in which coin hoards were buried and the objects found with them. The patterns of hoarding in Britain from the late 2nd century BC to the 5th century AD are discussed. The volume also provides a survey of Britain in the 3rd century AD, as a peak of over 700 hoards are known from the period from AD 253–296. This has been a particular focus of the project which has been a collaborative research project between the University of Leicester and the British Museum funded by the AHRC. The aim has been to understand the reasons behind the burial and non-recovery of these finds. A comprehensive online database (https://finds.org.uk/database) underpins the project, which also undertook a comprehensive GIS analysis of all the hoards and field surveys of a sample of them.