Numismatic Archaeology of North America: A Field Guide (Guides to Historical Artifacts)

Numismatic Archaeology of North America is the first book to provide an archaeological overview of the coins and tokens found in a wide range of North American archaeological sites. It begins with a comprehensive and well-illustrated review of the various coins and tokens that circulated in North America with descriptions of the uses for, and human behavior associated with, each type. The book contains practical sections on standardized nomenclature, photographing, cleaning, and curating coins, and discusses the impacts of looting and of working with collectors. This is an important tool for archaeologists working with coins. For numismatists and collectors, it explains the importance of archaeological context for complete analysis.

Marjorie (Margie) Akin specialises in numismatics within historical archaeology, and her publications include contributions to Greenwood’s Down by the Station: Los Angeles Chinatown 1890-1933, Costello’s The Luck of Third Street, and many articles and reports about Asian coins recovered in North America.

James (Jim) Bard has worked professionally as an archaeologist since 1977, and is currently Principal of Ancient Artifact LLC in Portland, Oregon, Inc. Recovery of Asian, as well as US and Canadian, coins in varied archaeological contexts focused his lifelong passion for coin collecting into deeper concern for the treatment of numismatic materials by historical archaeologists. .

Kevin Akin, a retired steam engineer, has provided physical labor for Margie Akin's archaeological projects for 41 years. He is a longtime collector of coins and tokens, an active member of several numismatic organizations, and has designed medals for coin clubs and community organizations.