SELECTED REFERENCE WORKS
(Compiled and Annotated by Ben Weiss)

In an attempt to make this list useful to a variety of collectors, the beginner as well as those more experienced collectors of medallic art, I have broken down the books into different categories, including: General Reference Books, Subject, Country, Medalist, Persons, and General Collections of Medals. There is also a short list of auction catalogues I have found particularly useful. The list is by no means comprehensive but rather serves as a compilation of those books with which I have personal knowledge and which I happen to prefer.

Linecar, Howard, W.A.: The Commemorative Medal -- Its Appreciation and Collection. David and Charles, l974.
Good beginners’ book on medal collecting. There are several useful books for the novice collector; this is one.

Forrer, L.: Biographical Dictionary of Medallists- Vol. 1-8. Original Edition published in London (1902-1930). Reprinted by Spinks (1965) and by Franklin, New York (1970). Third reprint and revised Volume I published by A. H. Baldwin and Sons and A. G. van der Dussen (1980) printed by Cultura Press, Belgium. Volume I on Google Books
Simply THE best reference book on medalists and their works. If you can find it and afford it, buy it. In eight volumes, which include two supplements plus and index.

Europese Penningen: 2500 Europese Medailles, A Catalogue of 2500 European Medals. Published in Amstelveen, The Netherlands,1983.
This Dutch catalogue lists and pictures 2500 medals: 63 pages of text and 345 pages of plates. This is one of the most extensive listings of historical medals available. Hard to find but well worth the search.

Jones, M.: The Art of the Medal, British Museum Publications Ltd., London 1979.
Great discourse of the medal as an art form, reflecting the personal knowledge of medallic art by one of the recognized experts in the field. Profusely illustrated, interesting and informative.

Jones, M. (Ed.): Designs on Posterity: Drawings for medals, The British Art Medal Trust, Llanfyllin, Powys, 1994.
Another wonderful and scholarly work by Mark Jones which discusses the role of Drawings in medal making. This book includes original sketches of medals and the drawings from which medallists may have taken the inspiration for their medals. It cover a wide range of medals from the renaissance to those of Karl Goetz.

Scher, S.K.: The Currency of Fame: PORTRAIT MEDALS OF THE RENAISSANCE. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers in association with the Frick Collection, New York, 1994.
The loveliest book on medals I have seen. The photographs are magnificent and the historical descriptions are wonderful. Buy if just for the pure pleasure of perusing the images.

Eidlitz, Robert James : Medals and Medallions Relating to Architects. New York, l927.
Excellent, limited edition, oversized, privately published book of architectural medals, all of which are illustrated and described. Contains short biographical sketches of the architects whose works are depicted by the medals.

Taylor, Jeremy : The Architectural Medal England in the Nineteenth Century. Published by British Museum Publication Ltd., London l978.
Architectural medals from 19^th century England. Contains descriptions of the medals and biographical sketches of the architects and medalists. Illustrated.

Eglit, N.A.: Columbiana. Published by author, printed by Hewitt Brothers, Chicago.
A small but very useful catalogue on the Medallic History of Christopher Columbus and the Columbian Exposition of 1893.

Prucha, F.P.: Indian Peace Medals in American History. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, l971.
Contains some interesting photographs of Native Americans wearing the medals. Includes commentary on the use of Peace Medals in American Indian policy and a list of Collections of Indian Peace Medals.

Belden, Bauman L. : Indian Peace Medals Issued in the United States 1789-1889. N. Flayderman & Co., New Milford, Connecticut (Publisher), 1966.
Contains images and descriptions of some 67 medals, pictured on 22 plates, issued from 1789 to 1889.

Vannel, F. and Toderi, G.: La Medaglia Barocca in Toscanna. Studio per Edizioni Scelte, Firenze, l987.
One of the most comprehensive catalogues and standard reference works on Italian Baroque medals with biographical sketches of all the medalists and excellent descriptions of the medals. In Italian.

Johnson, Velia : Dieci Anni di Studi di Medaglistica 1968-78. Edizioni Stabilimento Stefano Johnson s.p.a., Milano, l979.
A hard to find but comprehensive volume on Italian medals, mostly baroque. In Italian.

Friedenberg, Daniel M.: Jewish Medals from the Renaissance to the Fall of Napoleon. Interesting and learned work on medals related to Jews and Jewish history by the Dean of Judaic Numismatics and former Curator of Coins and Medals for The Jewish Museum. The book has a particularly engrossing chapter on anti-Semitic Medals as it reveals the long-standing history of state-sponsored anti-Semitism.

Friedenberg, D.M. (Ed.): Great Jewish Portraits in Metal. Selected Plaques and Medals from the Samuel Friedenberg Collection of the Jewish Museum. Schocken Books, U.S.A. 1963.
Medals and plackets depicting prominent Jews, from ancient to modern. The medals are arranged by profession and include a brief biographical sketch of each person featured on the medal.

Freeman, S.E.: Medals Related to Medicine and Allied Sciences in the Numismatic Collection of The Johns Hopkins University. The Evergreen House Foundation, Baltimore, Maryland, 1964. The most widely quoted and authoritative catalogue on medals related to medicine and its allied sciences. The book contains brief biographical sketches of the physicians and scientists depicted on the medals. Although not every medal is pictured, it is nevertheless the most useful reference book in its field.

For pure enjoyment see Scher, The Currency of Fame: PORTRAIT MEDALS OF THE RENAISSANCE. (See above)

Hill, G.F. : RENAISSANCE MEDALS from the Samuel H. Kress Collection at the National Gallery of Art: Based on the Catalogue of Renaissance Medals in the Gustave Dreyfus Collection. By G.F. Hill, Revised and enlarged by Graham Pollard. Published by the Phaidon Press for the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. London 1967.
One of the finest collections of Renaissance medals in the world. The collection was compiled by Gustave Dreyfus and donated to the National Gallery of Art by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. Every medal described and illustrated.

Hill, G.: Medals of the Renaissance, Revised and enlarged by Graham Pollard, A Colonnade Book. British Museum Publications, Ltd., l978.
Marvelous discourse on renaissance medals compiled by Sir George Hill and later enlarged by Graham Pollard, two of the worlds recognized authorities in the field.

Hill, G.F.: A Corpus of Italian Medals of the Renaissance before Cellini. Florence, 1984.
The standard reference on Italian renaissance medals. A re-issue of the 1930 publication. Published in two volumes, one of text, the other of plates.

Attwood, P. Italian Medals c.1530-1600 in British Public Collections. London, 2003. Two volumes.
Marvelous, relatively new publication (2003) of Italian medals published in two volumes listing over 1200 medals, continuing Hill’s Corpus of Italian renaissance medals.

Martin, Jean L.: Les Medailles de Tir Suisses. l612-1939. Lausanne, l972.
The complete and most widely used catalogue describing Swiss Shooting Medals. All medals are photographed. This is one of the few medal books with a price guide. The forward is in English, German, French and Italian.

Hawkins, E., Franks, A.W., and Grueber H. A.: Medallic Illustrations of the History of Great Britain and Ireland to the Death of George II, Vol. I and II. Spink and Son, Ltd., Eng., l969.
The definitive reference on medals of Britain and Ireland to the period of George II (1760)-- a must for collectors of British medals.

A newer issue of this book, in oversized form, including illustrations and published in 1979, is available from Quarterman Publications, Inc, Lawrence, Massachusetts in association with British Museum Publications Ltd. Though not as fine as the original illustrations, the new versions of the plates are certainly adequate.

The original illustrations were published between 1904 and 1911 by University Press, Oxford by Horace Hart. In total, they comprised 183 plates plus indexes. The plates were divided into 18 parts, each part consisting of 10 plates, in loose folio pages, and enclosed in hard cardboard. The 19^th part contained the indexes.

Brown, L. A. : British Historical Medals 1760-1960. Volume I: The Accession of George III to the Death of William IV. Seaby Publications Ltd. London, 1980.

Brown, L. A. : British Historical Medals 1837-1901 Volume II: The Reign of Queen Victoria. B.A Seaby Ltd., 1987.

Brown, L.A. : British Historical Medals 1760-1960. Volume III: The Accession of Edward VII to 1960. Spink & Son Ltd. 1995.
These books by Laurence Brown serve as a continuation of Hawkins’ Medallic Illustrations of the History of Great Britain and Ireland, whose entries ended in 1760. They are published in three volumes starting from 1760 and continuing through the 20^th century. Another must for collectors of British medals.

Welch, Charles : Numismata Londinensis. Medals Struck by the Corporation of London to Commemorate Important Municipal Events 1831-1893. London, l894.
A most important book describing medals issued by the Corporation of London. It is the standard reference book for the popular series of medals often referred to as the City of London Medals. Very interesting contemporary writings reflecting the pageantry of the times. The series of medals in this book consists of 26 medals, the last one in the book issued in 1893. Since then two more medals were issued and are considered to be part of the same series.

Wollaston, H.: The Commemorative Collectors Guide to British Official Medals for Coronations and Jubilees. Published by the Commemorative Collectors Society, Nottingham, U.K., 1978.
A limited edition volume for the collectors of British coronation medals. It is the most detailed book of its kind, describing the political significance of the medals and some of the circumstances surrounding the issuance of the medals.

Beaulah, G. K. : The Medals of the Art Union of London, The British Numismatic Journal, Vol XXXVI, 1967
The standard reference for the series of medals issued by the Art Union of London.

Eimer, C. : British Commemorative Medals and their values. Spink and Son Ltd., London, 2010.
A most authoritative and extremely useful guide to the value of British commemorative medals. This is the second, greatly expanded edition of the work. The prices of this new edition, of course, reflect those as they were at the time of publication, i.e., 2010.

Fearon, D.: Spink’s Catalogue of British Commemorative Medals: 1558 to the present day with valuations. Webb and Bower, Exeter, England 1984.
An excellent price guide to British medals published in 1984.

Jones, M.: A Catalogue of the French Medals in the British Museum, Vol 1 1402-1610. British Museum Publications Ltd. 1982.

Jones, M.: A Catalogue of the French Medals in the British Museum, Vol 2 1600-1672. British Museum Publications Ltd. 1988.
Excellent two-volume catalogue of French medals in the British Museum including descriptions and photographs of the medals. Detailed biographies of the medalists of the period are particularly well done.

Hennin, M.: Histoire Numismatique de la Revolution Francaise., J. S. Merlin, Libraire, Quai des Augustins, Paris, l826: reprinted by A.G. van der Dussen, Maastricht.
Excellent and important two-volume set (one of text, the other line drawings) comprising medals of the period of the French revolution (1789-1799), with detailed descriptions of each medal. Originally published in 1826, these volumes have been reprinted by A.G. van der Dussen. In French.

Brockmann, G.: Die Medaillen der Welfen: Band I, Linie Wolfenbuttel. Verlag Dr. G. Brockmann, Koln, 1985.

Brockmann, G.: Die Medaillen der Welfen: Band2, Linie Luneburg/Hannover. Verlag Dr. G. Brockmann, Koln, 1987.
Excellent and comprehensive, two-volume set of medals from the personal collection of Dr. Guenther Brockmann, describing medals of Welf (the German dynastic house, from which the English Hanoverian kings were descended), with complete descriptions and photographs of all the medals. (In German)

Brockmann, G.: Die Medaillen der Kurfursten und Konige von Brandenburg-Preussen: Band I. Die Medaillen Joachim I. - Friedrich Wilhelm I. 1499-1740. Verlag Dr. G. Brockmann, Koln, 1994. Another wonderful book by Guenther Brockmann describing The Medals of the Electors and Kings of Brandenburg-Prussia.

Wielandt, F. and Zeitz, J.: Die Medaillen des Hauses Baden. G. Braun, Karlsruhe, l980.
A nicely presented, somewhat oversized book describing the medals from the House of Baden (A border state of the Holy Roman Empire along the frontier with France in the southwest of Germany), with complete descriptions and photographs of all the medals. (In German)

Trusted M.: German Renaissance Medals, A Catalogue of the Collection in the Victoria & Albert Museum, Published by the Victoria & Albert Museum, 1990.
Though only covering those German renaissance medals housed in the Collection in the Victoria and Albert Museum, this catalogue may be of interest to those who are not fluent in German, as it is in published in English. It includes descriptions and photographs of the medals as well as brief biographical sketches of the medalists of the period.

Grove, F.W.: Medals of Mexico Vol. I Medals of the Spanish Kings, Frank W. Grove, Guadalajara, Mexico 1970.

Grove, F.W.: Medals of Mexico Vol. II, 1821-1971, Frank W. Grove, Guadalajara, Mexico 1972.
The standard two-volume set of medals of Mexico, illustrated, in English.

Van Loon, Gerard: Histoire métallique des XVII provinces des Pays-Bas depuis l’abdication de Charles-Quint, jusqu’ B la paix de Bade en MDCCXVI. La Haye: P. Gosse, J. Neaulme, P. De Hondt. Five volumes. The Hague, 1732-1737.
The most authoritative and widely referenced book of Dutch medals of the period. In French.

RUSSIA

Iversen, J.: Medaillen auf die Thaten Peter Des Grossen., St. Petersberg, l972.
Diagrams and descriptions, in German, of the medals of Peter the Great.

Spassky, I. and Shchukina, E.: Medals and Coins of the Age of Peter the Great. Hermitage Collection, Aurora Art Publishers, Leningrad 1974.
Catalogue, in English and Russian, of medals and coins of the age of Peter the Great from the Hermitage Collection. Several quite lovely colored plates. In English and Russian.

Herrera, A.: Medallas de Proclamaciones y Juras de los Reyes de Espana. Imprenta de M. G. Herandez, Madrid, l882.
Catalogue of the proclamation medals of the kings of Spain, line drawings, in Spanish.

Betts, C. Wyllys.: American Colonial History. Illustrated by Contemporary Medals. Quarterman Publications, Inc., l972.
The standard reference for early American medals. One of the few books that show a price guide, as of 1972.

Jaeger, K. and Bowers, Q. David: 100 Greatest American Medals and Tokens, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, GA. 2007.
A beautifully illustrated and informative compilation of what several experts in the field now consider to be the 100 most important American medals and tokens. The book also lists as an appendix the next 100 runner-up medals and tokens. Each entry has historical and anecdotal material as well as estimated current market values of the pieces, making each page a treat for the eyes and a feast for the intellect. This book is a must own not only for collectors of American medals but also for anyone interested in the History and Art of Exonumia.

Julian, R.W.: Medals of the United States Mint. The First Century 1792-1892. Token and Medal Society, l977.
The standard catalogue of medals issued by the United States Mint. Excellent reference containing mintage figures.

Loubat, J. F.: The Medallic History of the United States of America 1776-1876. Flayderman & Co., New Milford, Connecticut, 1967.
Wonderful and detailed descriptions of the events which the medals depict, including numerous original documents and letters relevant to these events. Lovely line drawings of the medals are depicted in the many plates. As the title indicates, the book is indeed a Medallic History of the United States of America from 1776 to 1876 and is an invaluable addition to the library of the serious student of early American history.

Eisler, W.: The Dassiers of Geneva: 18^th Century European Medalists, Volume 1, Jean Dassier, Medal Engraver: Geneva, Paris and London, 1700-1733. Association des amis du Cabinet des medailles du canton de Vaud, Palais de Rumine, CH-1005 Lausanne , et le Musee d’art et d’histoire, Geneve, 2002.

Eisler, W.: The Dassiers of Geneva: 18^th Century European Medalists, Volume 2, Dassier and Sons: An Artistic Enterprise in Geneva, Switzerland and Europe, Association des amis du Cabinet des medailles du canton de Vaud, Palais de Rumine, CH-1005 Lausanne , et le Musee d’art et d’histoire, Geneve, 2005.
The most comprehensive and learned description of the life, times and medals of Jean Dassier and his sons, Jacques-Antoine and Antoine, in two volumes. A must for collectors of Dassier medals. In English.

LINK to  review of these books by Arne Flaten as published in ANS magazine.

Dadler

Wiecek, A.: Sebastian Dadler., Medalier Gdanski. XVII wieku, Danzig, l962.
The standard, complete catalogue of the medals of one of the foremost medalists of the 17^th century, the great German medalist Sabastian Dadler. All of his medals are illustrated and described. In Polish.

Goetz

Kienast, G.W.: The Medals of Karl Goetz, The Artus Company, Cleveland, Ohio. 1967.
The most comprehensive catalogue on the medals of this very popular and excellent German medalist. All medals are described and illustrated. In English.

Hedlinger

Felder, Peter : Medaileur Johann Carl Hedlinger. 1691-1771. Switzerland, l978.
Lovely book with descriptions, photographs and drawings of the medallic works of the Swiss medallist, Johann Karl Hedlinger, one of the foremost medalists of the eighteenth century. Born in Switzerland, he lived in various countries and his medals include portraits and events related to several European countries. In German.

Wiener

Van Hoydonck, Emiel : Jacques Wiener (1815-1899)- Medailles Jetons, 1 ere Edition, l972.
A thorough catalogue of the medals of Jacques Wiener, including his popular series of the most famous and beautiful monuments in Europe (Cathedral Series).

Napoleon Bonaparte

Zeitz, L. and Zeitz J.: Napoleons Medaillen. Michael Imhof Verlag, Petersberg 2003.
Compared with the other books and catalogues on Napoleonic medals, this is a relatively recently published volume. It is a learned book containing extensive and detailed descriptions of many of the most important medals of the Napoleonic era. Several of the photographs are oversized and in color. In German.

Bramsen, L. : Médallier Napoléon Le Grand, Paris-Copenhagen, 1904/13.
This is the standard reference book on Napoleonic medals. Though lacking illustrations, it is the book and numbering system to which most collectors refer.

D’Essling: Importante Collection de Monnaies et Medailles, Appartenant au Prince d’Essling. June 1927.
Though not as widely referenced as Branson, this is a most important catalogue of Napoleonic Medals. It is the Collection of du Prince d’Essling. Unlike Branson, this catalogue has the advantage of having the medals pictured. In addition, as it is an auction catalogue, it comes with the prices realized, which is particularly useful for the collector. In French.

Napoleon III

Page-Divo, F. and Divo, J-P.: Medailles de Napoleon III, Hess Divo AG, Zurich, 2001.
Catalogue of images and detailed explanations of medals issued under the reign of Napoleon III. Period photographs throughout make the book even more interesting. In French.

Louis XIV

Divo, J-P: Medailles de Louis XIV, Spink & Son Numismatics SA Zurich 1982.
An important catalogue containing images and descriptions (in French) of more than 300 medals of the period of Louis XIV, mostly about 41 mm in diameter by the more prolific medallists of the times, including Jean Mauger, J.-B. Dufour, Jerome Roussel, Thomas Bernard, Jean Duvivier, Jean La Blanc, J. Roettiers, and Jean Dollin. Unfortunately the catalogue, which is from the collection of the Duke of Northumberland, does not contain any of the larger medals of Louis XIV, but it does contain useful translations of the Latin inscriptions into French.

La Medaille au temps de Louis XIV, Hotel de la Monnaie de Paris, Acheve d’Imprimer sur les Presses de l’Imprimerie Nationale, 1970.
This catalogue contains descriptions of over 600 medals of the period of Louis XI, including many of the larger medals not covered in Divo. Besides those found in Divo, this catalogue contains medals by the fine medallists, Michel Molart, Jean Warin, and Sebastien Le Clerc. Though not all of the medals are pictured, most of the larger medals are and as such it is a very useful supplement to Divo’s work. (In French).

Martin Luther

Whiting R.B.: Collection Prof. Robert B. Whiting, Coins and medals of Martin Luther and the Reformation. Spink/Bullowa Auction, Zurich, 1983.
Auction catalogue of medals and coins related to Martin Luther. With over 900 lots, most of which are medals, this catalogue has become one of the standard reference works for medals of one of the giants of the Protestant Reformation. Being an auction catalogue it contains estimates and prices realized of the medals.

Baker, W. S. : Medallic Portraits of Washington with Historical and Critical Notes, Robert M. Lindsay, Philadelphia, 1885. Reprinted in 1965 by Krause Publications, Iola, Wisconsin.
Standard catalogue of the medallic portraits of George Washington. Contains a Price and Rarity Guide.

Hall, V. : Catalogue of The Vernon Hall Collection of European Medals, Elvehjem Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1978.
A useful catalog describing the collection of Vernon Hall. Contains a variety of helpful indexes and translations into English of the inscriptions of the medals in the collection.

Norris, A.S. and Weber, I.: Medals and Plaquettes from the Molinari Collection at Bowdoin College. l976.
One of the more widely referenced catalogues of Renaissance and later European medals given to Bowdoin College Museum of Art by Amanda Marchesa Mollinari. Contains brief biographical sketches of the medalists and excellent descriptions of the medals themselves.

The Salton Collection: Renaissance and Baroque Medals and Plaquettes. Bowdoin College Museum of Art. Brunswick, Maine, l969.
A catalogue of one of the finer collections of Renaissance and baroque medals, several of which are unique, from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Salton.

The Samuel H. Kress Collection at the National Gallery of Art.
Though this catalogue is by no means general, I have mentioned it here for completeness. For a description of this important work, see Hill under Renaissance Medals.

Although there are thousand of auction catalogues published by various auction houses, many of which are important, I have chosen just a few that I found to be particularly useful.

Laugwitz & Co. October 1976.
About 1000 lots of medals, many from the German states. One of the most extensive and useful catalogues of important silver European medals I have seen. In German.

Spink Coin Auction, Number 8, 1980.
One of the most extensive collection of Dassier medals on auction.

Sotheby & Co., May 27^th 1974.
This catalog offered a fine Collection of Renaissance and Later Medals

Sotheby’s European Historical Medals.
A two volume set (December,1980 and June 1981) from the Collection of the Duke of Northumberland Removed from Alnwick Castle. An extensive and important collection of English and other European medals.

Baldwin’s Auctions, Number 35, October 2003.
A catalogue of medals of the French revolution and medals related to Napoleon and the Napoleonic Period from the Collection of Charles Walker.

Goppel, Dr. Plum and Holler : Munzen- und Medaillensammlung., l960.
With over 5000 lots of medals, and 72 plates illustrating the medals, this is a highly useful catalogue of medals from the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th centuries. The medals are heavily weighted toward those of the German states but include medals from several other European countries as well. In German.

Morton & Eden, May 20-21, 2003.
Contains an excellent group of Italian (Florentine) Baroque Medals from the collection of Professor Dr. Klaus Lankeit.

Stacks: John J. Ford, Jr. Collection of Coins, Medals and Currency. October, 2003 to present. Perhaps the most complete and important collection of United States Coins, Medals, Currency and Books (the latter in association with George Frederick Kolbe Fine Numismatic Books) ever offered for auction, from the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection. These auctions took place over several years in more that 20 parts, and still counting. The catalogues contain virtually every know type of medal related to U.S. history, including an extensive number of Betts medals and Indian Peace Medals. The catalogues are collectors’ items themselves.

Spink/Bullowa Auction, Zurich, April 19-20,1983.
Auction catalogue of Coins and Medals of Martin Luther and the Reformation (see under Martin Luther).
 

LINK to Comprehensive List of References

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