Sommer A New version of his Byzantine catalog Nov 2023

[Simon]

Because of a posting of @ewomack I discovered this book he had acquired. I have the 2010 version, but the 2023 version had major improvements. I bought a copy from Germany. It was not expensive and was a vast improvement from the earlier version. I mentioned in a sub post, but I thought it best to give this its own thread. The book had been out for a year but I did not realize a new edition had been created. I could not find a copy stateside it did not seem to be marketed well in the US market.  

Die Münzen des Byzantinischen Reiches 491-1453: Mit einem Anhang: Die Münzen des Kaiserreichs von Trapezunt by Andreas Urs Sommer

To me it was important to point out because as of now there is no word of David Sears Byzantine coins and their Values being updated. DOC is updating but very awkwardly on the web and only with the new examples they have acquired. 

To start the book is not complete catalog but an excellent reference to the majority of Byzantine coins and current market values. The key points to mention on this new edition.

200 pages have been added to the catalog from the 1^st edition.

According to the intro, 1000 coins have been added and prices have been updated, some lowered , some raised.

It is the first Byzantine coinage catalog in decades, to be updated.

I do not speak German but I can use Google translate on my phone with ease, it makes the book easily readable. I have not gone through the whole catalog but since my specialty in collecting in the 12^th century Byzantine coinage, it was an easy comparison between editions.

The pictures are just okay, but every number has a picture and again, the price was under $100.00 usd including shipping.

I hope this catalog continues in popularity, In Europe it is a go to book, I would hope it becomes supported in the USA and worldwide as well, insuring a 3^rd edition. 

Be careful that you buy the new edition Nov 2023, the cover looks very similar to the 2010 edition except notable the top right showing it is a second edition. 

Note in second 3rd photo @Glebe Ross is cited from his web site. 

 

 

[rasiel]

5 hours ago, Simon said:

It is the first Byzantine coinage catalog in decades, to be updated.

 

Note to self: I'm slackin'

Rasiel

[ewomack]

I had never heard of the Sommer catalog until I saw the second edition posted on MA Shops about a year ago now. I contacted the publisher and pre-ordered the book. For me, the postage from Austria cost almost as much as the book itself, but since it had just come out when I bought it perhaps the options were limited?

It is a large, hefty book, but very well made and sturdy. As mentioned by @Simon already, it contains an enormous amount of pictures, but they are all in black and white and only "okay" in quality. Despite that, I've found that it lists numerous varieties not mentioned in Sear (which dates back to 1986), and the photos make the varieties easy to identify. So far, I haven't found a variety listed in the book that didn't have an accompanying photo. It does list Sear and DOC numbers as well, and I've come across a number of Sommer references that don't have a corresponding Sear reference.

I have referenced the book on this site a number of times over the past year, mostly through attributions. Sommer uses an "x.x.x" format. Another coin author with the last name "Sommer" also exists, who wrote the book Newbie Guide to Ancient Coins: Learn How To Purchase Ancients and Sell Online for Big Profit. I have never read that book, so I can't comment on it, but someone thought I was referencing that book when using the name "Sommer." So just be aware of possible confusion with the name.

As @Simon also said, the book is completely in German, but that doesn't pose as much of a problem today. I know some German, so I can make out the basics, but digital tools have made reading it not very difficult. I'm glad that I bought a copy and I plan to keep including references from it in my attributions. At this point, I doubt that Sear's Byzantine volume will get updated anytime soon. It's still a great catalog, but it's age has begun to show, not to mention it only includes photos for select coin types. I wonder if the language will keep Sommer from becoming a standard reference? I guess we'll see. Either way, it provides the most recent references for Byzantine coin varieties and known types, so Byzantine collectors would probably enjoy having a copy around despite language barriers.