Coins & Currency (Hobby Handbooks)

Includes a history of coins and paper money, covering how different kinds of money are made, forgeries, how to find and identify coins, handling and trading, and how to display a collection

From a British series, a profusely illustrated, large-format ``Hobby Handbook.'' Selected topics (``Obtaining Coins and Notes,'' ``How Coins Are Made,'' ``Keeping Your Collection'') are treated in two- or four-page sections, each with several good color photos and special information highlighted in boxes. Other sections feature brief histories of currency in various parts of the world. The book succeeds handsomely in conveying both the historical interest and the aesthetic satisfaction inherent in this hobby, wisely skirting the issue of coins as an investment. Aspects of the ``how-to'' sections may be more helpful to British readers than to Americans (e.g., a pocketful of US change isn't likely to include an Indian- head coin). An annoying design flaw: almost half of the page numbers are obscured by graphics. For an older audience than the Maestros' The Story of Money (p. 231); reading level and graphics quality are similar to the Eyewitness series' Money (1990), which lacks the information on collecting. Glossary; addresses of numismatic societies; excellent maps; index. A list of periodicals and reference sources (on both sides of the Atlantic) would have been helpful. (Nonfiction. 10+) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.