COINS, BANKNOTES, MEDALS, SEALS, NUMISMATICS. In this accessible and wide-ranging account, Peter Duckers provides a fascinating insight into the origins and long tradition of these awards. His work is a guide for collectors and for local and family historians who want to learn how to use medals to discover the history of military units and the experiences of individuals who served in them. Medals are a link with the men and women who were actually present in some of the famous - and not so famous - actions in British military history. From the earliest medals of Elizabethan times up to those awarded in the present day, medals have much to tell us about the life histories of their recipients and the armed forces in which they served.