and the like allegorical beings. In devices of this nature one sees a pretty poetical invention, and may often find as much thought on the reverse of a medal as in a canto of Spenser." In dismissing this volume the author thinks it proper to mention a few books in addition to those referred to in the body of this work, on the subject of Greek and Roman Coins, in which much information will be found. One of the best is Vaillant's "Nummi Antiqui Familiarum Romanarum," printed at Amsterdam, 1703, in two volumes folio, with plates of the Roman Consular Coins.-In Vaillant's "Numismata Imperatorum Romanorum," will be found an account of the Imperial Coins. There is also a work in two volumes folio, by Banduri, entitled, "Numisma Imp. Rom. a Trajano Decio usque ad Paleologus," that is to say, to the termination of the Roman empire, printed in 1713. An account of Greek Coins will be found in a folio work by Goltzius, printed at Antwerp, 1644, and Gesner's "Thesaurus Numismatum," two volumes folio, 1738, although in the former work there are plates of Coins not known to any modern medalist. The coins of modern Continental nations since the reign of Charlemagne, are, upon the whole, uninteresting to an Englishman: to give a perfect account of them would be a task of great difficulty. EXPLANATION OF THE ABBREVIATIONS. V. C., very common, and C., common. S., scarce; being placed against coins which are not so often met with as those denominated common, but which cannot be with propriety termed rare. R 1, signifies the lowest degree of rarity; R 2, the degree above it; and so on, up to R 8, which denotes the highest degree; excepting, of course, those coins at present supposed to be unique. SECTION I. ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF COINAGE. THE INVENTION OF COINAGE ATTRIBUTED TO THE GREEKS--COINS NOT MENTIONED BY HOMER-NO EGYPTIAN COINS WITH HIEROGLYPHICS-RUDE COINAGE OF THE JEWSCOINS OF THE ARSACIDE-OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT AND THE PTOLEMIES-ROMAN CONSULAR AND IMPERIAL COINS DECLINE OF THE ARTS IN ROME-COINS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPERORS-COINS OF ENGLAND-THEIR DESIGN AND EXECUTION. FROM all that can be gathered upon the subject of coinage, it would appear that the invention of it may be attributed to the Greeks. Some authors are, however, of opinion that the art had its rise in Lydia. Homer, who lived about thirty years before the first Greek coinage, makes mention of the use of scales, but there is nothing to be gleaned from his works which will furnish a proof that money was at that time known. No coins have yet been discovered of the Assyrians, the Medes, or the Phoenicians, until after the Greeks had fur B |