I'm very pleased to announce that I've sent my new Early Copper attribution guide to print...

Volume 1 of my rapid attribution guide for early date Large Cents has gone to the print shop. This first volume will cover every Sheldon variety, 1793-1795, including the newly discovered NC-10 and NC-11 (new since the book that most people currently used was published). Volumes 2 and 3 will be released this spring and summer, and will cover everything up to 1814.
My book will include a die crack finder (in this case, for the 1794, which is far more tricky than the '93 and '95) with every die crack illustrated on a single page, in order to quickly send you in the right direction when you find a coin with a die crack on it, as well as some other unique features found on certain dies.
My book is kept simple, has one sole purpose...to demystify Large Cents and to help quickly and easily identify the variety.
With the help of Heritage, PCGS, Goldberg Coins, and a number of private donors, I have gone to the ends of the Earth to bring all of the best quality photos available together into one place. A special emphasis was placed on getting all of the features clearly visible on each coin. In many cases, I will use the obverse or reverse from a more common variety where I could obtain better photos in order to show better detail, keeping die states in mind (and yes, die states are well addressed in my book, as well).
If you were involved or contributed in any way, be sure to PM me for your free copy if I haven't already contacted you.
Here are a few random sample pages. Be kind! I've put a lot into this project! Photos and print are larger and more vibrant in the printed version:
Early American Copper, Bust and Seated.
Comments
Very impressive work. Congratulations on completing this reference material. Cheers, RickO
Congrats on what must be a pain staking but rewarding project, looks great.
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
If the sampling of photos are any indicator of what this guide looks like, I think you did a great job!!!
Congrats on putting this together and getting it printed.
Donato
Donato's Complete US Type Set ---- Donato's Dansco 7070 Modified Type Set ---- Donato's Basic U.S. Coin Design Set
Successful transactions: Shrub68 (Jim), MWallace (Mike)
I'll want a copy! Suggestion for EAC members.
This will be extremely difficult but I guarantee someone will do it eventually...
There is an attribution guide for Early dollars on the Internet. It starts with a characteristic on the coins and gives the choices, then it moves to another, then another until the attribution is determined by simple elimination. Something we do in our head but this is illustrated. Newcomb did a similar thing in his book long ago. Unfortunately, back then it was not illustrated as Noyes has done in his reference set.
It would be nice to have a flow chart as this for the early cents! I'll bet a group of EAC guys could get a draft (even w/o images) of the attribution "flow" in just a few months for each date.
Looks good! Spiral bound with hard cover like the CPG, please!
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
Congrats @opportunity!
Hope sales are brisk for you. Will it be printed for other languages?
that would be a nice set to have on hand as well as having the book just saying
Very cool! Any plan to do half cents?
I love it - beautiful work, and destined to be a classic, must-have reference book
for copper aficionados!
Sign me up for a copy please.
Please visit my website Millcitynumismatics.com
Maybe not Volume 1 (as a DBLC collector) but I'll be right towards the front of the queue when Volume 2 becomes available. Very cool!
Smitten with DBLCs.
One question regarding what I see on the sample pages:
Rev. B (19, 20, 21)
Does this mean reverse B was used on S-19, S-20, and S-21 in that order, or is the order not shown or implied?
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
Looks good! Spiral bound with hard cover like the CPG, please!
...Thanks! It's going to be spiral bound, paperback. Reason being...cost. Color printing costs almost twice as much as black and white. If I piled on hard cover, it would double again. Paperback will keep a lightweight, low profile in people's bags at shows, and keeps me from having to charge more than I should.
Does this mean reverse B was used on S-19, S-20, and S-21 in that order, or is the order not shown or implied?
...Not in that order...it only means the die is shared with that variety.
Very cool! Any plan to do half cents?
...Not at the moment. That would be down the line. I would probably do middle dates before Half Cents.
Will it be printed for other languages?
...No plans for that. In fact, very unlikely, as the translation would be a nightmare.
I'd like to thank everyone for your positive words. Anytime you put yourself out there like this, it's makes you (me anyway) a little nervous. I've had this idea in the back on my head for years...a practical, simple, straight forward, portable guide for attributing large cents.
A couple of things I can think of at the moment...as I mentioned above...it'll be paperback (cost and portability being the main reasons). The full color printing has jacked the price up slightly, but I figured that would be appreciated by most.
I had considered releasing an E-book, but virtually everyone at the last FUN show that I talked to about the project told me they wanted a printed version, plus I had slight concerns about piracy. There was also the debate about the size of the book...some wanted a smaller book, 5.5x8 or some such, but in the end, I went with the trade off for larger pictures...full 8.5x11."
Early American Copper, Bust and Seated.
Nice!
For some reason I cannot PM you---please sign me up for a copy of your attribution guide to Early Copper. The design layout and images look great!
Check out some of my 1794 Large Cents on www.coingallery.org
I don’t collect Lg cents but wanted to say congratulations 🍾🎉🎈🎊 on your book. I hope you sell them like hot cakes!
Later, Paul.
Thank you for a great reference, this will be invaluable to collectors for years to come....
I was considering releasing a mini E-book available for free download for everyone to give a sample of my book. Maybe the 1793 Chains and Wreaths. What do you all think? Should I do it?
Early American Copper, Bust and Seated.
Hey everyone, I had 50 copies, and they sold out very quickly at a show last weekend. I have more copies arriving Monday and will be available for mail order (and will also have some at FUN).
Aside from the above, I am currently working furiously on Volume 2 and could use some help...I have all of my photos together, but could use better pics of a 1797 NC-1, 1797 NC-4, and 1796 NC-7. I have adequate pics, but could use better ones. If you can obtain high res. pics of better grade examples of any of those, let me know. You'll get a free copy of volume 2 if you contribute.
Early American Copper, Bust and Seated.
Count me in for a copy if available.