Description
Abramson, T. Anglo-Saxon Counterfeits. Fakes, Forgeries and Facsimiles AD 600-1066. 2012. Quarto, pp. x, 204, illustrated throughout.
Card covers. As long as civilization has used coins as a form of currency there have been individuals who, for a number of reasons, have made fakes, replicas and counterfeits. Not all counterfeits are produced for personal profit and not all replicas are designed to deceive. However, to both scholar and collector, historical counterfeits have long been a matter of serious interest, concern and, in certain circumstances, an area of study in their own right. The Anglo-Saxon coinage with its huge variety of designs and styles, has been a lucrative target for pernicious counterfeiters. From the contemporary craftsmen who produced their own derivative copies to supplement the limited supply of coins, to the modern makers of museum replicas, the coins of the Anglo-Saxon period have been copied, replicated and forged to produce a corpus of material almost as extensive as the originals from which they draw their inspiration. In this ground breaking new study Tony Abramson brings together a vast catalogue of Anglo-Saxon counterfeits and copies in the first modern study of this fascinating subject. Fully illustrated with over 3,000 detailed images this study examines the types, styles and creative inspirations that have fascinated and intrigued all those who study early coinage. From contemporary copies to modern fakes, the catalogue is an essential guide for both scholars and collectors.
