NUMISMATIC GOSSIP:

Base metal? Just the opposite
By Danny Rubinstein (Haaretz)

"Hatzad hashelishi shel hamatbe'a" ("The Third Side of the Coin") by Yaakov Meshorer, edited by Hannah Amit-Kochavi, Yad Ben-Zvi, 190 pages, NIS 150

In the interest of proper disclosure, I admit that Yaakov Meshorer, who passed away two years ago, was a childhood friend. Born and raised in Jerusalem, he was an archaeology professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and chief curator of the Israel Museum's archaeology department. A major authority on ancient Palestinian coins, Meshorer influenced me to dabble in collecting old coins.

A short while before his death, he completed "Hatzad hashelishi shel hamatbe'a" ("The Third Side of the Coin"). Published in the format of an album, it is a treasury of beautiful pictures and fascinating stories. Meshorer spent most of his time on scholarly publications, which earned him esteem and prestige in the eyes of his colleagues. However, in the context of his work, he amassed considerable material on treasures, collectors, forgeries and other matters not directly connected with academic research. He has gathered all this material in the book under review, and readers are invited to join him on an entertaining visit to the world of ancient coins.

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