Of the many traditions we have inherited from the ancient Greeks, the use of coins should rank as one of the most important. From its first appearance in the region of Lydia (western Turkey) in the late-17th century BC, coinage gradually spread throughout the Greek world, and the history of the ancient Greeks is reflected in its evolution. Designs on Greek coins include the badges of city-states, portraits of rulers, images of Greek gods, scenes from myths and objects of daily life, and are often works of art in themselves. The dies, carved by craftsmen, sometimes bear the name or initials of the mint official responsible for their issue, and the coins might have circulated in trade, been used as gifts or dedications, or hoarded as valuables.

The first volume of this catalogue deals with the issues of the Greek cities in Spain, Gaul, Italy, Sicily, Macedon and Thrace, Illyria and Central Greece, the Peloponnese, the Aegean Islands and Crete; also the Punic and RomanoCeltiberian coinage of Spain, and the Celtic coinages of Gaul, Britain (uninscribed issues), and Central Europe. The primary arrangement is geographical (west to east) and the listings are divided between Archaic issues (before circa 480 BC) and Classical and Hellenistic (later 5th century down to 1st century BC).

This book is not a standard coin catalogue, but it focuses on quantities and percentages of the mysterious 5950 sphere images on Roman coin reverses, and a few Greek coins. This research identifies political, cultural, religious and propaganda trends associated with the coin sphere images, and offers a variety of new findings.