History of Jewish Coinage, and of Money in the Old and New Testament, by Frederic W. Madden. London: Bernard Quaritch, 1864. English. Number 14 of an edition of 30 copies. Wide margins.
The book provides an overview of the history of the minting and use of Jewish coins in antiquity, beginning with the biblical account of Abraham’s return from Egypt "very rich in livestock, silver, and gold," and showing various coins – Hasmonean, Judean, Greek and Roman – from the time of the Maccabees and the three great revolts against the Romans, to the New Testament era. The book contains 254 illustrations of ancient Jewish coins. A plate containing the Phoenician, ancient Hebrew, Sumerian, Aramaic and other alphabets appears at the beginning of the book.
XII, XI, 350 pp. + [1] plate, approx. 29 cm. Good condition. Many stains. Minor tears at the edges of the leaves and creases. Half-leather binding, with minor blemishes. The front binding is mostly detached, and the back binding is loose.