In its significance for both Islam and Christianity, and ultimately the wider world, the fall of Constantinople on 29 May 1453 was to herald the dawn of the early modern period and bring universal recognition to the man forever known as Mehmet the Conqueror, or Sultan Mehmet II (1432-1481); who at the age of twenty-one had brought the millennium-old Byzantine empire to an end. The very improbability of such an accomplishment, after many failed attempts on Constantinople by different factions over the centuries, was to only add to Mehmet’s growing status; while his quest for territorial acquisition over the following twenty-five years, in the establishment of an Ottoman empire, was to place this dynastic family on the international stage, where they would remain a significant political force over the following five centuries. Little material evidence has survived from the formative period of Mehmet's life, and certainly nothing of any direct significance such as a portrait. However, Mehmet had an enduring interest in that genre, though it was naturally assumed that after an absence of more than five centuries a portrait of the young sultan in any form had simply not survived the intervening period. The appearance of a circular portrait relief of the sultan was thus to be of more than passing interest, given the youthfulness of the turbaned Muslim sitter, who was immediately identifiable as Mehmet the Conqueror from both his modelled bronze relief profile and the titles encircling his portrait, addressing its subject in Latin as the 'Great Prince and Great Emir, Sultan Master Mehmet' - Magnus Princeps et Magnus Amiras Sultanus DNS [= Dominus] Mehomet. The willingness of Mehmet to commit his imperial vision to the hands of a western artist at such an early period of his life is at the heart of this extraordinary episode, which embraces the looming extinction of the millennium-old empire of Byzantium, an expanding Ottoman political enterprise and the fall of Constantinople itself. It represents a fusion between east and west that is without parallel in the mid-fifteenth century. Indeed, so directly can the commission of the bronze relief be linked with Mehmet that beyond the revelation of his youthful, and enigmatic, portrait is the remarkable sense of an event of historic proportions, now viewable through the eyes of the protagonist himself.

The brief period covered by The History and Coinage of the Roman Imperators witnessed the violent transition of the Roman state from a republican constitution, presided over by the Senate, to a full military autocracy under the control of one man, the Emperor Augustus. In reality, the events of these years were merely the culmination of a movement which had been gathering strength over the preceding half century, since the rise of men such as Marius and Sulla. Caesar had put events into motion by his invasion of Italy and his challenge to Pompey’s dominant position in Roman politics. With his assassination on the Ides of March, 44 BC, Caesar’s role was inherited by his youthful great-nephew Octavian who, against seemingly hopeless odds, succeeded in eliminating his rivals for supreme power, notably Mark Antony and his ambitious consort Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. This book traces in detail the unfolding of this drama. Each of its six chapters includes a comprehensive catalogue listing of all the relevant coin types and varieties, each with a full discussion of its significance in the interpretation of the events of the period. Information on the rarity of each type, including estimates of their value when first published in 2000, are presented in a separate table. The numerous, though less precisely understood, local coinages of the Imperatorial period are listed in an extensive appendix. Whilst providing a comprehensive numismatic reference work for the age of transition from Republic to Empire the author has also aimed to heighten the historian’s awareness of the vital role which may be played by the numismatic evidence in the detailed chronicling of events.

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.

The Coins of England and the United Kingdom Pre-Decimal and Decimal volumes 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. The revisions and updates completed in 2021 have been built upon to provide a completely comprehensive guide to decimal coinage in the year of its 50th anniversary, and the volume is published in hardback for the first time to celebrate this milestone

This historic reference work for British coins is still the only catalogue to feature every major coin type from Celtic to the Decimal coinage of Queen Elizabeth II, arranged in chronological order and divided into metals under each reign, then into coinages, denominations and varieties. All decimal coinage since 1968 is listed in a separate volume, available as an independent publication. The catalogue includes up-to-date values for every coin, a beginner’s guide to coin collecting, numismatic terms explained and historical information about each British coin, from our earliest (Celtic) coins, Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Norman coins, the coins of the Plantagenet Kings, the Houses of Lancaster and York, the Tudors and Stuarts, to the more modern Milled coinage, minted for the first time in 1561 during the reign of Elizabeth I. From the earliest of times, coins have been used by states or monarchs to communicate with people; Coins of England is therefore not only a reference book for collectors, but a fascinating snapshot of British history, illuminating its economics, technology, art, politics and religion. As always, the content has been updated and improved throughout by the editors, with numerous new images and revisions of key sections.

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.

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.

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.

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.