Sylloge of Coins of the British Isles

As the most comprehensive catalogue ever published of English Short Cross coins (1180-1247), this volume will be the standard reference work on this complex series for museum curators, archaeologists and collectors alike. The Short Cross series of Henry II-III has been a focus of interest and controversy since the early nineteenth century, but there has not yet been a comprehensive exposition and accompanying photographic record. This catalogue illustrates 2200 coins from the collection of the late Jeffrey Mass (d.2001) - a collection more representative than even the British Museum's substantial holding. Every moneyer is included in every class, and every coin is accompanied by a full description. Eleven introductory chapters, including essays by other distinguished experts, provide a definitive account of the classification, both illuminating the evolution of the coinage, and emphasizing the scope and richness of this fascinating series.Review QuoteMass's excellent 'Summary of classification points', including enlarged illustrations, is likely to prove particularly popular with cataloguers, since it provides clear and illustrated advice on the diagnostic elements of both the types and the legends displayed by each subdivision of the series. Medium Avum ... likely to become the standard catalogue for the series ... the current volume presents two major advances over its predeccessors: firstly, comprehensive and generally clear ilustration of all known Short Cross types; and secondly, a much-improved textual description of each of those types ... by far the most comprehensive catalogue of the series so far published. Medium Avum