que ELEMENTARY MANUAL COMPILED BY CAV. FRANCESCO GNECCHI VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN NUMISMATIC SOCIETY, 2nd EDITION REVISED, CORRECTED AND AMPLIFIED Translated by the Revd Alfred Watson HANDS MEMBER OF THE LONDON NUMISMATIC SOCIETY LONDON SPINK & SON 17 & 18 PICCADILLY W. I & 2 GRACECHURCH ST. E.C. 1903 (ALL RIGHTS RESERVED) MIA ROMAN COINS ELEMENTARY MANUAL AUTHOR'S PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION In the month of July 1898 the Rev. A. W. Hands, with whom I had become acquainted through our common interests and studies, wrote to me asking whether it would be agreeable to me and reasonable to translate and publish in English my little manual of the Roman Coinage, and most kindly offering to assist me, if my knowledge of the English language was not sufficient. Feeling honoured by the request, and happy indeed to give any assistance I could in rendering this science popular in other countries as well as my own, I suggested that it would he probably less trouble if he would undertake the translation himself; and it was with much pleasure and thankfulness that I found this proposal was accepted. It happened that the first edition of my Manual was then nearly exhausted, and by waiting a short time I should be able to offer to the English reader the translation of the second edition, which was being rapidly prepared with additions and improvements. It was then proposed to print the translation in the Numismatic Circular, at the same time that it was being printed in Italian. It now only remains for me to again express my gratitude to my worthy collaborator the Revd A. W. Hands, who has offered to assist my work by presenting it to the English reader, and to Mess's Spink and Son who have undertaken to print it; and to express, my hope that this attempt to spread the knowledge of Roman coins may meet with a kind reception. F. GNECCHI. Roman Coins. I |