One hundred years after the conquest of the Persian Empire by Alexander of Macedon, we see the emergence of a new Iranian dynasty that, by 140 BC, has extended its rule to Western Iran and Mesopotamia. The Arsacid Parthians, famous for their riding and archery skills, became Rome’s most dangerous enemy east of the River Euphrates. Encounters between Roman generals and Parthian envoys are vividly described in Classical accounts of a biased nature, and unfortunately no such sources are available from the Parthian side. Here, the most important primary source is the coinage of the period c. 248 BC – AD 224. These coins reveal important information about the development of the Parthian state, its expansion and the role of the king, who, by 111 BC, had adopted the ancient Persian title of King of Kings. Rome’s interference in the region begins during the reign of Mithradates II’s and culminates in the devastating defeat of the Roman army under the General Crassus at the Battle of Carrhae in 53 BC. Over the next 300 years these two superpowers fight for territorial control in the region, particularly over Mesopotamia and Armenia. This book will highlight the rise to power of the Parthians, the long conflict with Rome, as well as the culture and religion of the Parthian Empire as seen through the coinage of this period. It is co-published with the British Museum to accompany an exhibition of the same name which opens there in April 2020.

The Distinguished Service Medal was the main gallantry medal given to naval ratings during the First World War, with over 4,000 medals being awarded. The citations for these awards are difficult to identify in surviving documents, which has meant that the reason why many of the awards were made has remained somewhat enigmatic. For the first time this book documents all the surviving recommendations for these awards as well as providing analysis of the campaigns for which the awards were made. The posthumous recommendations for the medal and also details of the other awards made to DSM recipients are included to provide a definitive history of the medal during the First World War and the Interwar period.

The debasement of coinage, particularly of silver, was a common feature of pre-modern monetary systems. Most coinages were issued by state authorities and the condition of a coinage is often seen (rightly or wrongly) as an indicator of the broader fiscal health of the state that produced it. While in some cases the motives behind the debasements or reductions in standards are clear, in many cases the intentions of the issuing authorities are uncertain. Various explanations have been advanced: fiscal motives (such as a desire to profit or a to cover a deficit caused by the failure to balance expenditure and revenues); monetary motives (such as changing demand for coined money or a desire to maintain monetary stability in the face of changing values of raw materials or labour costs); pressure from groups within society that would profit from debasement; misconduct at the mint; or the decline of existing monetary standards due to circulation and wear of the coinage in circulation. Certain explanations have tended to gain favour with monetary historians of specific periods, partly reflecting the compartmentalization of scholarship. Thus the study of Roman debasements emphasizes fiscal deficits, whereas medievalists are often more prepared to consider monetary factors as contributing to debasements. To some extent these different approaches are a reflection of discrepancies in the amount of documentary evidence available for the respective periods, but the divide also underlines fundamentally different approaches to the function of coinage: Romanists have preferred to see coins as a medium for state payments; whereas medievalists have often emphasized exchange as an important function of currency. The volume is inter-disciplinary in scope. Apart from bringing together monetary historians of different periods, it also contains contributions from archaeometallurgists who have experience with the chemical and physical composition of coins and technical aspects of production of base alloys.

The location known as ‘A Riverine Site Near York (ARSNY)’ represents a category of Viking site known from the historical record but one that until recently had remained largely undetected archaeologically: the Viking camp. The published investigations at Repton, Derbyshire, although undoubtedly important, created a false paradigm for the scale and character of such sites. The discovery and investigation of ARSNY, along with Torksey in Lincolnshire and Woodstown in Ireland, has revolutionised understanding of the size and character of such sites, with wider implications for the aspects of Viking warfare, urbanisation, precious metal economies and the transition from raiding to permanent settlement. This volume includes the detailed publication of the ARSNY site, along with the first detailed comparison of the sites as a group and of their wider significance.One particular feature of the site is that the finds shed new light on the character of Viking exchange in Northumbria on the eve of settlement. The volume concludes with a synthesis of the evidence from ARSNY and York with these other groups of finds to provide a comprehensive overview of the monetary developments which took place in Yorkshire in the period between the Viking settlement of the mid-870s and the expulsion of the last Viking king of Northumbria in 954, making this a milestone publication for the understanding of precious metal economies in the Viking Age.

From the Celts to the Tudors, the Georgians to our Queen - coins from all around the United Kingdom show many wonderful designs. With 22 full page illustrations to colour in, each providing a contextual history, this book will provide hours of fun for coin enthusiasts of all ages.

Between 58 and 51 BC Julius Caesar conquered Gaul. He campaigned across much of present day France and the Low Countries, crossed the Rhine to Germany, and sailed the Channel to invade Britain. In doing this he achieved immense personal wealth and glory and the loyalty of a battle-hardened army of veterans. Caesar’s eventual return to Rome began with the crossing of the Rubicon which started a bloody civil war from which he emerged victorious and as dictator. Roman historians have little to say on the consequences of the war on the Iron Age communities of north-west Europe. Their story is told instead by archaeology and numismatics. Huge numbers were involved in the war, at a vast cost in people and wealth. In the aftermath, leaders sympathetic to Rome were installed and sometimes whole peoples were resettled. The diplomatic relations created at this time directly affected the eventual incorporation of these peoples into the Roman Empire. This book presents the latest archaeological research on the Battle for Gaul and its aftermath. Based on an acclaimed 2017 conference, it is the first Europe-wide overview and much of the research is published here in English for the first time. After an introduction to recent trends in historical studies, thematic studies and regional surveys analyse the archaeological and numismatic evidence from across north-west Europe. Comparative evidence for the Roman conquest of Spain is also examined, along with the fundamental role that the study of the Battle for Gaul played in shaping the development of Iron Age archaeology. Written by leading international experts, this book will be of interest to archaeologists, numismatists, ancient historians and military historians.

Over the ages and in all societies, gallantry in battle has been highly regarded, with the bravery of individuals and fighting forces being officially rewarded and publically recognised in a wide variety of ways, such as gifts of jewels or money, grants of land, promotions in rank or status etc.In Britain, it has been the practice since at least the mid-19C to award decorations – medals specifically conferred to reward bravery in action. With the growth of the British Empire in the late 19C, the waging of two World Wars, the campaigns that mark the end of Empire and a continuing UN and NATO role, Britain has produced a wide range of medals to reflect the gallantry of its own and Imperial fighting forces. Such rewards have been conferred upon men and women, in all theatres of war and amongst the whole range of its forces on the ground, in and under the sea, in the air and even “at home”. This new Spink book offers an introductory guide to British and Imperial medals for gallantry which have appeared since 1854 and which continue to be awarded to this day, illustrating the type of action which has led to the award of the various medals over nearly 200 years.

By the IAPN Prize-winning author of The Coins of the English East India Company. The Coinage of the Bombay Presidency: A study of the Records of the EIC is a companion volume to Dr Stevens’ widely acclaimed catalogue of the Presidency Series of Coins of the East India Company. The latest book contains numerous extracts from the records, relating them to the known coins and showing why and when they were issued. It also contains much information about the working of the mint and the people who undertook that work.

In the early twentieth century there was a revolution in board games. Children’s games intended to teach morality were transformed into economic simulations aimed at adults. This book demonstrates how play and games reflect and shape our understanding of money, and explores the history of board games in the twentieth century. Why was a famous psychic so interested in the stock market? How did a feminist campaigner try to undermine capitalism with a game? And why has ‘German game’ become synonymous with a growing number of cafes all across the world dedicated to playing board games? Playing With Money will be published to accompany an exhibition at the British Museum, which opens in April 2019, drawing on the Museum’s collection of games and game money. In it Robert Bracey, curator of the exhibition, investigates how we think about money, and asks what mundane objects like games, and the universal experience of play, can tell us about society.

Many books have been written about the Victoria Cross and its recipients.The first published work on the subject appeared in 1857 – the same year as the first VC investiture. A resurgence of interest in the 1990s led to the publication of numerous new titles, but there was no comprehensive bibliography of the Victoria Cross until John Mulholland and Alan Jordan’s first volume appeared in 1999, representing the efforts of a team of researchers in the UK, Canada and Australia. This second edition completely updates their research, increasing the number of books listed, annotated and cross-referenced from 640 to around 1,100, and including all the Journals of the Victoria Cross Society. Part I contains a listing of all key VC titles; Part II lists non-fiction and fictional books written by VC recipients; and the index lists, in alphabetical order, every VC recipient with the date of the London Gazette citation. Additionally it identifies the books in which the recipients are referred to significantly, enabling the researcher to quickly identify key works.The bibliography is an important contribution to Victoria Cross literature and an essential, up-to-date reference guide for anyone with an interest in the decoration.

The second edition of this book presents a new and expanded exploration of the unusually varied coinage and currency of the ‘Great Rebellion’ of 1642-1660, a pivotal period in British history. It builds on further research available since its original publication in 1990, notably a fresh appraisal of the West Country mints of Sir Richard Vyvyan and new insights into the numerous hoards of the time. Along the way, we meet more of the people who willingly or unwillingly did business with the wartime mints. Following a description of the currency in circulation in 1642 and a survey of the organisation of royalist minting during the war, the royalist mint-franchises are considered in turn. Foreign coinage, siege issues and the emergency coinages of Ireland are all described; and the story of the Tower Mint under Parliament is followed through the Interregnum of 1649-60 to the Restoration of Charles II. Minting methods at a time of transition from manual to mechanised production form an important subsidiary theme.Edward Besly was Numismatist at the National Museum of Wales (Amgueddfa Cymru) from 1986-2018, having previously worked at the British Museum. He is best known for his studies of Romano-British coin hoards and of the coinages of the time of Charles I (1625-49). In 2003 he was awarded the John Sanford Saltus Medal of the British Numismatic Society.

The purpose of the book is to introduce the English speaking reader to the medieval Slavic coinages of the Balkans as a whole. Its objective is not to present an in-depth analysis of any individual coinage or an analysis of specific coin hoards. Rather, its intent is to make available, in one volume, a general synthesis of the up-to-date scholarship, and a catalogue of the main sorts and types of coinages from the different medieval Slavic Balkan lands and towns. Until now, these coinages have been examined only in specialised articles on the problems of attribution and identification of specific coins; and there are lists and catalogues of the coinages struck by specific rulers, states and towns. Significantly, no comprehensive review exists of the coinages issued by all the Slavic political authorities of the medieval Balkans, this study is the first attempt at such a survey.

In 2018, the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George celebrated the 200th anniversary of its foundation. Originally instituted to recognise service in the Mediterranean region, principally in Malta and the Ionian Islands, the scope of the Order has been extended on a number of occasions, and is now the main United Kingdom honour for service overseas to British interests. The first full-length history of the Order was published in 2000, and this newly revised and updated edition is published to commemorate the bicentenary of the Order’s foundation. Fifteen chapters cover its historical development, from it use in Britain’s Mediterranean empire, its extension to the wider British Empire, its uses by the Diplomatic Service and the armed forces in, and now for overseas service generally. The book includes a chapter on the work of Bishop Henry Montgomery (father of Field Marshal Montgomery) in creating a chapel for the Order in St Paul’s Cathedral in 1904, and another on the changing styles of the robes and insignia. The Order of St Michael and St George is one of the lesser-known British honours, but this well-illustrated volume helps to shed a light on the Order and tells its fascinating story.

Co-published with the Royal Collection Trust. The Royal Collection is famous as one of the finest art collections in the world, but little is known about its coins, medals and banknotes, which include many extremely rare pieces. This book, published by Spink in association with the Royal Collection Trust, describes and illustrates the most important items in the Collection, giving their historical background, how they came to be in the Collection, and their importance. The repeated development and dispersal of the early Collections under the great royal collectors Prince Henry, Charles I, and George III are described. No monarch since then has been a devoted collector of coins or medals, but occasional important additions have been made to the Royal Collection, particularly by George V and Queen Mary. Other major items have been received as gifts from visiting Heads of State; coin finds on Duchy of Lancaster land (eg the Cuerdale Hoard of 1840) have also contributed to the Collection, as well as items presented by the Royal Mint. Most of the items have never been exhibited before, and several are supported by descriptions and images of other relevant important objects from the Royal Collection.

Co-published with the Royal Mint Museum. War has shaped currencies, creating, abolishing and moulding them. By providing the means through which they have been fought, coins and banknotes have proved themselves an indispensable weapon of war. But the disruption that comes with conflict has seen usage of money change to cope with extreme circumstances. Coins have frequently been debased or often buried in hoards as an army advances, they have found themselves saving lives on a battlefield or becoming objects of sentiment as a memory of home. As symbols of state, money has offered the means through which victorious leaders have proclaimed their triumphs, evidenced from Roman Emperors through to the more poignant modern ways in which commemoration predominates. In this new book Kevin Clancy, Director of the Royal Mint Museum, seeks to explore these themes, revealing how something which thrives on stability can adapt when the normal rules of life are turned upside down. Richly illustrated throughout, the book focuses principally on the experience in Britain from Tudor times but draws on other instances from around the world and across time to show how money and war have collided and influenced one another. It is a fascinating story that will be as engaging to those with an interest in military history as much as to those of us with more than a passing interest in money.

The Spink Maury Catalogue has traditionally provided the highest level of detail for the stamps and covers of France and the French colonies, with thousands of top quality illustrations and prices updated every year. It was acquired by Spink in 2015, and the editors have since endeavoured to make this the premium reference work of its kind. The catalogue includes stamps on cover, tete-beche issues, blocks, reprints, military mail, specimens, telegraphs, officials, parcel post, booklets, essays, proofs, airmails, precancels, postage dues, imperforate issues, balloon mail, occupation issues, telephone stamps, siege mail and war stamps, and is the authoritative work for any collector of French stamps, or anyone interested in this fascinating area of philately. The 2019 edition showcased a wealth of new pages and is an absolute must for collectors of French stamps. ‘Layout and coverage are sumptuous … The trite phrase “mine of information” does not begin to do justice to this immense achievement. To any collector of France beyond the elementary stage, this would be a bargain at twice the official retail price … Highly recommended.’ Michael Round, Journal of the France & Colonies Philatelic Society