BOOK REVIEW: ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MEXICAN MONEY

Here's your Editor's mini-review of the first volume of the Whitman Encyclopedia of Mexican Money, by Don and Lois Bailey. This first book in a planned four-volume Encyclopedia is an introductory overview and history of Mexican coinage and currency (although paper currency is limited to just one short chapter).

As an introductory volume it succeeds in providing a sweeping view of Mexican numismatics from the Cob coinage of the 1500s through modern commemoratives and proof sets. In addition to coins, volume 1 includes Mexican primitive money, patterns, tokens, sets, orders and decorations and medals.

Don't look for pricing information, though - other than a guide to calculating bullion values, this volume is all about listings and descriptions, but not prices. Those quickly get outdated however, making this book a keeper for the numismatist's shelf. But the book does provide general rarity descriptions, noting whether selected pieces are rare, very rare or "unconfirmed".

It passes my usual back-of-the-book test, providing a nice seven-page index, bibliography and five-page Glossary of terms. There are over 1,000 images, many in color. The typeface was developed especially for this book, with nice printed representations of the various Mexican mint marks and legend letters.

Whitman Encyclopedia of Mexican Money, volume 1
By Don and Lois Bailey;

ISBN 0794834074
Hardcover, 6 x 9 inches, 496 pages, full color
Retail $39.95 U.S.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NEW BOOK: ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MEXICAN MONEY (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n39a02.html)

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web