AUSTRALIAN COINS, NOTES & MEDALS. 1980.

One of the first three books any Australian numismatist should buy.

It would be a mistake for any numismatist to dismiss this title as being unworthy of consideration simply because of it's humble presentation.

Any collector worth their salt knows that sometimes you need to travel a little further; shop in stores that one might otherwise walk past; trawl through websites one might otherwise skip and pore over magazines one might otherwise toss out, and likewise sometimes we really do need to read books that would otherwise sit untouched in the library.

Australian Coins, Notes and Medals, written by two stalwarts of the Australian numismatic scene throughout the 60's; 70's and 80's, may not be a specialised text, however I believe it should be one of the first three books any Australian numismatist should buy.

There aren't too many generalised books on Australian numismatics that not only touch on each major numismatic sub-category, but covers each to a depth that any serious researcher would be pleased to hand on to a friend just starting out on their journey learning Australia's numismatic history.

I've been surprised by the number of times I've referred back to this humble book when researching such diverse subjects as the Port Phillip Office, the 1916 Mule Halfpenny and the introduction of decimal currency, and have come up with more than a few kernels of numismatic informaton that was simply unavailable elsewhere.

Anyone interested in gaining a broad overview of Australia's numismatic scene would do well do pick up a copy of this book. I believe it's particularly useful for collectors that aren't yet sure about which area they should focus on with their collecting - Australian Coins, Notes and Medals has a great balance between the well-researched technical information that's unavailable elsewhere and a warm stories covering the social history of the items being discussed that it's enjoyed by casual readers and experienced researchers alike.

Make no mistake, it should be one of the first three books any Australian numismatist should buy.