Astronomical Symbols on Ancient and Medieval Coins (Book Review)
You see them quite often on coins if you collect these types. However, the references are clueless as to what star and moon devices actually mean, with rare exception. It turns out that understanding these symbols can actually help date the coins more precisely. The book is full of illustrations and charts explaining astronomical events and the associated coins. The most well known examples are the stars on the coins of Roman Republic featuring Julius Caesar. The technique, despite the fact that there were no coins of that time celebrating the event, has been used to help establish the date of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth to 4 B.C.E.