Numismatic Archaeology of North America
A Field Guide
Preview
Book Description
Numismatic Archaeology of North America is the first book to provide an archaeological overview of the coins and tokens found in a wide range of North American archaeological sites. It begins with a comprehensive and well-illustrated review of the various coins and tokens that circulated in North America with descriptions of the uses for, and human behavior associated with, each type. The book contains practical sections on standardized nomenclature, photographing, cleaning, and curating coins, and discusses the impacts of looting and of working with collectors. This is an important tool for archaeologists working with coins. For numismatists and collectors, it explains the importance of archaeological context for complete analysis.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
What is Numismatics?
CHAPTER 2
The Development of Money in North America
CHAPTER 3
Circulating Currency
CHAPTER 4
Asian Coins in North America
CHAPTER 5
Tokens and Medals
CHAPTER 6
Paper Money
CHAPTER 7
Coin Production Methods
CHAPTER 8
Numismatic Approaches to Analysis
CHAPTER 9
The Archaeologists’ Perspective
CHAPTER 10
Using North American numismatic evidence
CHAPTER 11
Shipwreck Archaeology and Coins
CHAPTER 12
Materials, Corrosion, and Cleaning
CHAPTER 13
Photographic Images
CHAPTER 14
Resources for the Identification of Coins and Tokens
CHAPTER 15
Moving Forward: How can we Make Collaboration Work?
Author(s)
Biography
Marjorie (Margie) Akin specialises in numismatics within historical archaeology, and her publications include contributions to Greenwood’s Down by the Station: Los Angeles Chinatown 1890-1933, Costello’s The Luck of Third Street, and many articles and reports about Asian coins recovered in North America.
James (Jim) Bard has worked professionally as an archaeologist since 1977, and is currently Principal of Ancient Artifact LLC in Portland, Oregon, Inc. Recovery of Asian, as well as US and Canadian, coins in varied archaeological contexts focused his lifelong passion for coin collecting into deeper concern for the treatment of numismatic materials by historical archaeologists. .
Kevin Akin, a retired steam engineer, has provided physical labor for Margie Akin's archaeological projects for 41 years. He is a longtime collector of coins and tokens, an active member of several numismatic organizations, and has designed medals for coin clubs and community organizations.
Reviews
"This book is one of the most thorough and most detailed works I have ever read on the use of money in the United States. From Indian wampum to modern turnpike tokens, from foreign coins used as money in America to gold coins recovered from sunken treasure, this book will enhance the knowledge of all who read it."
— Q. David Bowers, Past President, American Numismatic Association; Research Editor, A Guide Book of United States Coins"The book serves both as a first introduction to a numismatic area of study and a handy reference for those who might have found something with which they are not immediately familiar... It explains key archaeological concepts in plain English and provides enough visual information to help a hobbyist categorize found objects. It also provides tips on how to conduct further research."
— Charles Morgan, CoinWeek"This volume is the first to give serious consideration to coins and their close cousins, tokens and medals, in the context of North American historical archaeology... an extremely welcome contribution that should be in every historical archaeologist's library."
— E.B. Banning, Antiquity