The First Major Numismatic Work in English

Walker, Obadiah. THE GREEK AND ROMAN HISTORY ILLUSTRATED BY COINS & MEDALS. REPRESENTING THEIR RELIGIONS, RITES, MANNERS, CUSTOMS, GAMES, FEASTS, ARTS AND SCIENCES. TOGETHER WITH A SUCCINCT ACCOUNT OF THEIR EMPERORS, CONSULS, CITIES, COLONIES AND FAMILIES. IN TWO PARTS. NECESSARY FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF YOUTH INTO ALL THE USEFUL KNOWLEDGE OF ANTIQUITY. London: Printed by G. Croom, for William Miller at the Gilded Acorn in St. Paul’s Churchyard, and Christopher Wilkinson at the Black Boy against St. Dunstan’s Church in Fleet street, 1692. 8vo, later full brown calf by Symington (York); sides decorated in Cambridge panels; spine with four raised bands, ruled and decorated in gilt; red morocco spine label, gilt; all page edges red. (16), 360 pages [irregularly paginated]. Occasional early annotations; mild foxing; a few leaves with marginal wear or tears, with minor marginal loss; very good. The first truly important numismatic work published in the English language. Walker (c. 1613–1699/1700) was a scholar at University College, Oxford, to which he was elected Master. He became a figure of some controversy for converting to Catholicism during the Restoration and was imprisoned for some time in the Tower of London. Andrew Burnett considers this to be “the first account of ancient coins in English.” The first six chapters examine various aspects of ancient and modern coins and their designs, with some commentary on counterfeits. Dekesel W11 [uncharacteristically missing the botched page numbering, which sees pages 97–112 skipped, only to be made up for later by a second use of page numbers 154–169]. Hirsch 138. Lipsius 430. Van Damme (1807) 368. Ex Clive M. Eyre Library, with his numismatic bookplate; ex Alan Morris Library, with his bookplate.