When Money Talks

A History of Coins and Numismatics

Frank L. Holt

Provides a fast-paced, illustrated history of coins and numismatics from ancient to modern times
Offers new methods of understanding and analyzing coins as historical evidence
Situates the subject within the broader contexts of pop culture and literature

When Money Talks

A History of Coins and Numismatics

Frank L. Holt

Description

Coinage--it is one of the most successful and consistent technologies ever invented. Nothing else we still use in everyday life has a history quite like it. Look around at all the things that would bewilder a Greek, Roman, or Renaissance ancestor; then, dig into your purse or pocket for that one artifact that they would immediately recognize as part of their world. Historian Frank L. Holt takes us on a lively journey through the history of numismatics, the study of coins--one of the oldest and most important contributions to the arts and humanities.

For 2600 years, poets, economists, philosophers, historians, and theologians have pondered the mysteries of money. Who invented coins, and why? Does coinage function beyond our control as if it had a mind of its own? How has it changed world history and culture? What does numismatics reveal about our past that could never be discovered from any other source? How has numismatics advanced using modern science? Does it still suffer from racist ideas about physiognomy and phrenology? What does its future hold? The approach taken in this richly illustrated book is as multi-faceted as coined money itself. Coins are integral to our economic, social, political, religious, and cultural history. When Money Talks: A History of Coins and Numismatics explores each aspect of coinage, and takes a special interest in how coins have appeared in literature and pop culture, ranging in its analysis from Greek drama and the New Testament to T.V. sitcoms and meme theory.

When Money Talks

A History of Coins and Numismatics

Frank L. Holt

When Money Talks

A History of Coins and Numismatics

Frank L. Holt

Author Information

Frank L. Holt is Professor of History at the University of Houston. His previous books include The Treasures of Alexander the Great: How One Man's Wealth Shaped the World, Lost World of the Golden King: In Search of Ancient Afghanistan, and Into the Land of Bones: Alexander the Great in Afghanistan. In addition to his large body of academic work, Holt is also a prolific writer for the public, with essays appearing in Newsweek, American Scientist, Archaeology, History Today, Archaeology Odyssey, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Saudi Aramco World, and other widely read publications.

When Money Talks

A History of Coins and Numismatics

Frank L. Holt

Reviews and Awards

"An excellent read and provides valuable insights into coins, the people who minted them, and now the people who study them." -- Journal of the Oriental Numismatic Society

"When Money Talks should be required reading for economists, historians, archaeologists, classicists, sociologists, and contemporary scholars, each of whose fields, among others, can benefit from better understanding money and its use." -- David Hendin, American Numismatic, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

"Holt's tour de force is his anecdotal history of coins and money.... Holt advocates for a multi-disciplinary field called "cognitive numismatics"...that the subtleties of history, economics, and other fields can gain a lot from the study of material artifacts such as the coins they used." -- David Hendin, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

"When a perfect author connects with his perfect subject, a book like When Money Talks is born. I found something I wanted to learn (or be reminded of) on almost every page. Holt is a specialist who has written a needed book for generalists. Using popular and academic themes, he explains numismatics in a broader context than it is usually understood.... When Money Talks should be required reading for economists, historians, archaeologists, classicists, sociologists, and contemporary scholars, each of whose fields, among others, can benefit from better understanding money and its use." -- David Hendin, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

"There really is no other book like this. Holt explores the origins of money in the form of coinage and the history of the discipline that studies it (numismatics) in a highly readable and entertaining fashion. His ability to simplify difficult concepts and find the perfect analogy is remarkable, as is the breadth of his knowledge of money from the ancient world to the world of today." -- Peter van Alfen, American Numismatic Society

"A genuinely fascinating book, full of ideas as well as facts: why we need money, how it has evolved, what forms it might take in the future. It is a general book by a genuine specialist, and it offers up expertise alongside a survey of his field and its history." --iThe New Yorkerr

"A holistic and creative introduction to an often-underappreciated subject -- readily accessible to those with no prior knowledge of numismatics, but equally a thought-provoking must-read for specialists." -- Liv Mariah Yarrow, CUNY