condensed from http://www.coin-newbies.com/articles/wayne_ancient.html

Ancient Coin Collecting by Wayne Sayles

This book is loaded with graphs, charts, diagrams, and distilled presentations of bulky information. One chart shows the Roman emperors (and usurpers) in chronological order with the additional benefit of gray shading to indicate the Flavians, the Severans, and the other families, knots, clumps and clusters. In addition, there is a similar chart for the Romaion or "Byzantine" rulers.

Other charts show the Imperial mintmarks, the attributes of the Personifications, the geographical and dynastic divisions of the Greek world, ancient alphabets and much more.

How much more? If you are ever interested in buying used books about ancient coins, you might want to know what "buckrum" and "foxing" are. He defines 21 more "Book Terms" along with another chart showing what sizes folio, quarto and octavo are.

There seems to be no end to the ancilliary data in this book.

Ancient Coin Collecting also provides the reader with a healthy dose of Wayne's own evaluations and recommendations. I was impressed with the illo on page 169, showing "Some VF coins of exceptional appeal."

(originally posted to rec.collecting.coins)

In addition to the book by Wayne Sayles and the series by David Sear,
allow me to recommend Handbook of Ancient Greek and Roman Coins, by
Zander H. Klawans, and Ken Bressett. It is good handbook with a long
history. Bressett was a ANA President and he is editor of The Red
Book.

Also, COINAGE AND HISTORY OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE by David Vagi came out
in 2000. It is a large, 2-volume set for about $100 (discounts can be
found.)

These books -- Sayles, Sear, Klawans/Bressett, and Vagi -- might seem
expensive, but you are money ahead if you follow the advice of coin
dealer Aaron Feldman who said, "Buy the book before you buy the coin."

Got that one too. It is a good reference handbook with some good information. I never have stepped into ancients (yet?) like I thought I might but I am still glad I got that book.