My first coin book
jonruns
Posts: 1,197 ✭✭✭✭✭
I'm pretty sure that this little book was purchased in the grocery store check out line. The first few pages are basically an advertisement to sell your valuable coins to Stacks. I was 8 at the time and coins were my first real collection...then stamps...then motel bar soap...shells...fossils...baseball cards...matchbox cars...currency...now back to coins...
I like Norman Stack's simple grading system in the book: G or F, VG or VF, or in some cases F or XF...after listening to JA's podcast I think I'm going back that way myself: a coin is either XF or AU or BU...
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Comments
Nice old book of values.... Now how many coin books in your library?? Cheers, RickO
Cool look at past prices! Gosh, an 1877 IHC for $110 in F12... such a deal!! In 1966 when I was but 6 years old, it could just as well have been 110 thousand dollars! ! lol!!
Successful BST transactions with: SilverEagles92; Ahrensdad; Smitty; GregHansen; Lablade; Mercury10c; copperflopper; whatsup; KISHU1; scrapman1077, crispy, canadanz, smallchange, robkool, Mission16, ranshdow, ibzman350, Fallguy, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, jwitten, Walkerguy21D, dsessom.
RickO -- there is one other...an autographed copy of Doug Winter's recent book on New Orleans gold...
Coincidentally I received this one in the mailbox today...valued at $30 in the 1966 pocket book...
an 1877 indian head cent for $110.00 in fine condition, way cool
Those were the days !!!
@jonruns....Thanks for the reply... and based on that, I would say you need some more coin books....Redbook, CPG for example... Cheers, RickO
I have, literally, thousands.
The reason?
Easy, if I get interested in a series, say Bust half $, I buy every book ever printed on the subject.
research, research and more ...
BHNC #203
Yep... Whenever something piques my curiosity, I quickly research books on the subject and acquire one or two of which I determine to be the best sources. My library is vast.... though coin books are just a part....Cheers, RickO
My first coin book was 1964 Handbook of United States Coins - Blue book. Price of book was $1.75.
I remember getting the book. I was 8 years old at the time, my father would go to the local department store every week, I would tag along and this book caught my interest as I was collecting coins for albums out of circulation, and wanted to know what prices dealers would pay - Bluebook rather than the Redbook. After a couple of weeks my dad bought the book for me which I still have, including a written list of coins that I found in circulation.
In 1964 dealers would pay $1.25 for a "good" capped bust half dollar, and $4.00 for a "V. Fine" which was the highest grade listed. For the draped bust which I have collected the last 25 years, $37.50 for a V Fine, and a 1795 FH half dollar the wholesale price was $200 in VF.
Some bad info in the book which destroyed the value of many coins "Modern silver coins can often be cleaned with a paste consisting of baking soda and water without harming the coin."
Fifty five years later I have hundreds of books - I need more space!