COIN BOOKS COVERING EASTERN EUROPE AND THE BALTICS
23 September 2006

What I want to do with this page is share my opinions on various books I have purchased on-line over the last years describing their usefulness in identifying and referencing the huge variety of coins from medieval and early modern Europe (through roughly 1870). Please take these short reviews as my personal opinion on these titles only. I'm including scans of the covers and a single sample page scan, either the table of contents for non-catalogue books or a page representing the listing of coins with an illustration.

On this page will be descriptions of books about coins from the Baltic territories and kingdoms. More specialized works are on seperate pages:

GREAT BRITAIN and IRELAND · LOW COUNTRIES and FRANCE· SPAIN · ITALY · GERMANY · EASTERN EUROPE
SCANDINAVIA · IDENTIFICATION AIDS · OTHER WORKS

CLICK ON A COVER IMAGE TO SEE THE SAMPLE PAGE

 

EAST BALTIC REGIONAL COINAGE 1250-1780
John S. Davenport

Type: Catalogue
Coverage: 98 pp, covers 305 coin varieties from 8 former Baltic states, most illustrated.
Availability: Seems to be quite rare, but Jerry Walker at VCoins almost always has it
Price: $20
Pros: Among the few English language titles covering this region and period available. Thoroughly illustrated, many legend transcriptions, some info on arms, weights, and diameters.
Cons: Some illustrations of inferior quality, photos often dark to the point of being indiscernable.

A very nice introductory work to coins of this area, it is much more accessible than the Polish or Russian works on the subject. If all you need is a quick, well-illustrated guide to the coins and not detailed information on metrology and subtle varieties, then this may be the only book you'd need. The eight regions covered are: 1. Livonian Order 1425-1561, 2. Archbishops of Riga 1418-1536, 3. Joint coinages of Knights and Archbishops 1484-1563, 4. Bishopric of Dorpat 1350-1558, 5. Bishoprics of Oesel, Curland and Reval 1560-1569, 6. Duchy of Curland 1561-1795, 7. Teutonic Order of Knights in Prussia c. 1250-1525, 8. City of Riga 1562-1581