The Invention of Coinage and the Monetization of Ancient Greece

Praise / Awards

• "This book is a magisterial and pioneering treatment of a subject of seminal importance. Schaps's erudition is impressive—but leavened by a pleasant style and tone. In my opinion, the volume will generate interest among a wide audience, and should stimulate (and expedite) further research among specialists."
  —Edward Cohen, University of Pennsylvania
• "Schaps provides intriguing food for thought for both ancient historians and modern economists. He argues that money existed before coinage, but that the invention of coinage reduced the costs of transactions enough to revolutionize life in ancient times, making monetization in ancient Greek society a crucial turning point in world history."
  —Peter Temin, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• "In this absorbing book David Schaps demonstrates that the Greeks were the first people in history to make widespread use of coinage, and so to have the concept of money, and that this relatively unappreciated fact is vital for understanding Greek society of the archaic and classical periods. This long overdue case is made by David Schaps with enormous intelligence and charm."
  —Richard Seaford, University of Exeter

• Winner of the 2010 Arie Kindler prize, awarded by the Israel Numismatic Society, Tel-Aviv Branch