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xi A work like this, which covers so much ground over such a long period of history, owes much to the expertise, time, and assistance of many people. At ABC-CLIO, I would like to thank David Tipton, managing editor and old friend, who first encouraged me to work on this project and was a constant source of support as well as a great sounding board Jennifer Hutchinson and Elisabeth McCaffery, my editors, who advised me on everything from the selection of artifacts to managing all the hurdles that impede the writing process and Ellen Rasmussen, who did such a wonderful job tracking down interesting, significant, and eye-catching images. Several friends and colleagues also came to my aid when I was especially challenged by certain topics. My thanks to Beth Digeser of UC Santa Barbara, her doctoral student James Conrad, Michael Proulx of the University of North Georgia, Dr. Geoff Lowrey, Jeff Richardson, and James Coffman, all of whom either shared their knowledge of Roman numismat- ics or put me in touch with colleagues who did. I am also grateful to Hal and Kathy Drake for their willingness to answer thorny questions about Latin inscriptions. A special thank-you goes to Aneta Worley for her help in communicating with the Czartoryski Museum in Kraków, Poland, and to Kinga Głazek and Dr. Dorota Gorzelany, who so generously answered my many questions about the Roman stamps in their collection. To my family, especially my wife LiAna, our two sons, and my mother Patricia, who so often looked after the boys while I wrote, I owe a particu- larly grateful thank you for your patience and support during the writing of this book. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS