New Ancients Book

The American Numismatic Society has released Coin Finds and Monetization in the Roman Northwest, the newest installation in its Numismatic Notes and Monographs series. Written by Benjamin D.R. Hellings, the book presents a study of coin finds and the monetary economy of northwestern continental Europe over much of the Roman period (c. 50 B.C.-A.D. 274). Hellings uses one of the largest datasets of coin finds ever assembled to analyze distribution patterns and fluctuations over time and space. 

The book’s summary states, “It is clear that the Roman state made a concerted effort to manage coinage and the monetary economy during its rule in northwestern Europe. Regionality is, however, a key feature of the coined monetary economy that resulted from deliberate action or the state’s inability to respond to demand, underscoring how centralized and empire-wide factors had an impact in the study region.” The volume’s publication was aided by a grant from the von Bothmer Publication Fund of the Archaeological Institute of America.

Illustrated with black-and-white images, Coin Finds and Monetization in the Roman Northwest is available for purchase on ISD Distribution’s website for $125 for non-ANS members or $87.50 with the ANS-member discount.

About the Author

Benjamin D.R. Hellings holds a master’s and doctorate degree from the University of Oxford, where his research focused on coin-find patterns and the use of Roman coins in northern Europe. He started at Yale University Art Gallery as the assistant curator in 2016, and now oversees the department of numismatics as the associate curator. He has published on a wide range of subjects, from Greek and Roman to early American coinage, 17th-century medals, as well as American bank notes and related material. In 2024 he authored The Naseby Cup: Coins and Medals of the English Civil War, distributed by Yale University Press.