This is a full-colour global directory of the world's greatest coins, featuring photographs of over 3000 issues from more than 200 countries. It is an expert guide to understanding and acquiring coins, from rare through to commemorative issues, by one of the world's foremost collectors. It contains practical advice on collecting coins, with tips on how to research, organise and build your collection, including the internet marketplace. It provides step-by-step photographic instructions on how to mount coins expertly for display, and how to restore the condition of antique coins. This is the ultimate expert guide to coins and coin collecting. An in-depth introduction to the origins, anatomy and usage of coins looks at the birth of the world's first currencies, and how their inscriptions, denominations and designs offer valuable insight into the societies and rulers that created them. The evolution of coin production is explored, describing the metals used - from electrum and fine gold to debased silver and alloys - as well as the various methods of inscription, ranging from the lifelike, hand-struck portraits of Renaissance Italy to the intricacy of intaglio and the revolutionary designs precipitated by photo-mechanical methods. The fully-illustrated country-by-country directory contains concise and lively histories of modern-day territories and ancient regimes, plus engrossing stories of some of the most remarkable and romantic coins in existence. Compiled and written by a numismatic expert, and featuring 3000 beautiful life-size colour images of coins, this is a unique guide to an endlessly fascinating hobby.