The Roman Coin Price Yearbook is, as its name suggests, exactly that, a price guide to virtually every Roman coin sold at auction throughout the world during 1995 and 1996, comprising Roman Imperial coins from 31 BC to AD 138.  The Editor has amassed a huge amount of data from all of the major auction houses in over 500 pages and presents it in a tabular form that is easy to follow, making the task of discovering a specific coin realisation relatively simple. The references are for single coins offered as individual lots and wherever possible the item is identified by indepth description of the piece, auction house, date of sale, lot number, standard reference number, state of preservation (in the language of the auction house), estimated value and the hammer price achieved.  The listing is in chronological order under emperor or personality and subdivided under denomination.

Although the prices included are not necessarily the prices that one would be able to purchase the coins for from a dealer, as auctions can sometimes distort prices, particularly when two collectors are both determined to outbid each other, they are nevertheless a valuable barometer of the market.  The book has no illustrations but this does not detract from the usefullness of a book that every collector of the Roman series should have in their library.

As the title page tells us, this book provides the hammer prices realized from more than 200 international public auctions held worldwide during 1995 and 1996.  This venture provides some 10,000 auction prices down to and including the reign of Hadrian.

Careful attention needs to be paid to the introductory sections which explain how the book is arranged by ruler, metal, denomination and reverse legend. The extensive "Preface" is provided in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Danish. 

Although this is a thick volume, it is not feasible to record every coin, but the entries are extensive. The author emphasizes that "This book is not complete. This book will never become complete. It has not been attempted to make this book complete." Yet the utility of the volume will quickly become apparent.

The composition of this volume is best illustrated by looking at one example from the book, a "Vesta" as of Caligula (= 38) on p. 160.

Examination of this entry will reveal that its basic structure is self-explanatory, but a few observations are useful:

• The basic entry to RIC (Roman Imperial Coinage).  In this instance the 1984 revision is used.  Other references are to Cohen, BMC RE, Seaby, Roman Silver Coins, Sear, Roman Coins and Their Values, and so on.  Varieties are recorded where appropriate.

• Each coin is described.

• The list of the sales has the name of the auction house abbreviated, but these are explained in an extensive listing toward the front of the book.  Sale dates, lot nos., and illustrations are noted.

• Condition is given in the conventional grades used in various countries, but is expanded according to patination, surface, cleaning, flan and so on.  Grading, itself, is a subjective thing.

• Pricing is converted to U.S. dollars and extensive table of conversion rates for different countries is provided.  Careful attention should be paid to the explanations related to how the prices realized are to be interpreted.