The Greeks began to settle in southern Italy in the 8th century BC. Their new cities quickly flourished, and there is no better evidence for their prosperity than the abundant coinages that most of them produced. "Historia Numorum - Italy" has been written to provide a clear and detailed account of the coinage of this prosperous part of Italy, which was sometimes influenced by the Greek model. The book also includes an account of the coinages of cities of Etruria and north-eastern Italy. Arranged overall by geographical area, the mints within each area are then listed alphabetically; included are details of the historical or geographical background, and an examination of the metals, weight standards and chronology. At the end of the book is a plate section containing a wide selection of illustrations of the mints discussed, as well as four maps of the area. The book is fully indexed for ease of reference; the indexes include reverse types and proper names.