What is the Absolute Best Hard cover book Available on Coins Today?

MrKelso

I am looking to give a gift of a hardcover book about all Amerian coins. Can anyone tell me what the most absolute best book available today would be, Plenty of pictures,history the whole nine yards,
Money is no object, as long as it won't cost a gazillion dollars.

Thanks for any help.

Slapping myself in the head Yes this is an advanced collector and the Breen book was a wonderful suggestion WOW what a book.

bennybravo

Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U S and Colonial Coins

Good Price LINK
About the Book LINK

Gilbert

But, it WILL fall apart.

Now really. Do you think you can get a consensus on a question like that.

Breen's book is a good all around book that I would recommend, but I'm in no position to claim it's the best.

Loki

For a beginning collector, you can't beat the red book imo. Nice color pics, brief history of each type, etc. Well made hardcover book that will last.
For the mid/advanced collector, I don't know. I guess I'd go with Breen's Encyclopedia also.

MrKelso

Book Update

After reading the reviews at Amazon I purchased Breen's Encyclopedia A bit Steep in Price but it was the last one on Earth and from what i read it was (THE BOOK) to end all books
5 star reviews and all.. I think this and an old photo of him and i doing an inventory of a full dipsy dumpster outside of a messhall during basic training at Fortdix NJ in 1968 for screwing up
will be an excellent gift and stimulate conversations the whole day.

michael

if you want to get a book that is facinating for a beginning collecytor or any collector even ten times better than the breen encyc it is the

walter breen encyc of US and colonial proof coins!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1722 to 1989

anf know why? not only is there muuh interesting reading and commentary but walter said some things inm the to the reader page written back in 1977 that is totally ttrue today!!!!!!!!!!!!! also in the back of the book stanley apfellbaum also written in 1977 he wrote an article chapter on investment in proof coins

well let me tell you a little secret!!!!!!!!!!!! ever wonder where this current market is going? ever wonder about all this plastic slabs and the grades on the holders and ever wonder about all the modern gaga grades in 69 and 70?? and ever wonder what this coin game is all about? especially so for somenoe new to the dangerous and lots of times costly game of coins? well buy the above book

not only is there facinating reading on the early minting priocess of proofs but it sums up all the proof coin eras thruoghout the book and all the little secrets

but then as i said about the commentary to the reader in the front part of the book and esecially the last part of the book the commentary on investment by apfellbaum i mean this information is worth its weight in flawless diamonds!!!!!!!! it gives the reader a true really ture perseective of the market then and even muchmoreso now!!!!!!!!!

and if they ever deside to delve into the coin game it will put them on an excellent footing to understand where thnings are now and where they are going! if they choose to listen!!!!!!!

but that listening part is another story as you cant fix convert change correct anyone but yourself but still you give them the corrext information and then they choose to listen or not!!!!!!!!!

in my opinion the best ever book written on coins with much usefull information and the subtopics on the eras of proof coins at the us mint from late 1700's up till the modern era and then the above two commentaires!!!!!!!!!!

dinamite this book is worth 1,000,000 to someone if they use it correctly and listen!!!!!!!! especiaslly more so if they want to know waht is behind this coin game thing currently

and even more more so if they are going to start buying coins over 100 dollars each!

sincerely michael oh the book might be out of print i do not know but i am sure bowers and merena book department has copies for sale?????? no..........lol i am not on commission for them nor do i own stock in their comapny i have never done any business with them but i remember seeing it on there i got mine like 25 years ago.............lol

greghansen

I think you made the right choice.

Greg Hansen
Melbourne, FL

KlectorKid

I just about had a heart attack when i saw the price! No book for me i would rather buy a nice coin with the money!

Blade

Kid,
The price caused me to wait, but I was at a coin show last month and a coin book dealer was selling a used copy for $75. I flipped through it and it was awesome. I bought NO COINS, which is extremely difficult to do, but came home with that book. Left behind a nice MS66 1934 Buffalo, but think I made the righ tlong term choice.

Why not ask your parents for the book for Christmas?

KlectorKid

My parents are goin to think im nuts asking for a 100 dollar book, how much is it for the paper? and ink?

MrKelso

Yep i have Purchased THE BOOK. Now i have to find another gift as i may not want to part with this book

DaveG

By the way, RCI advertises Breen for $80 (postpaid) every week in Coin World. I think that's the least I've seen it offered for on a regular basis.

Taxay's US Mint and Coinage is also a good choice - less on coins, but more on history and design.

They're not hardcovers, but I highly recommend both Scott Travers' Coin Collector's Survival Manual and Carothers' Fractional Money.

Lakesammman

It has to be the International Numismatics Dictionary I have for sale now on ebay......

lathmach

For all it's shortcomings the Breen book, "Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins", is the best possible single book a person could buy.
KlectorKid, I know when you don't have much money, it's hard to spend it on a book instead of coins. Where you are today, young and with very little spending money, I once was.
Christmas is coming though, and I have a suggestion for you. Bug the living daylights out of your folks to buy you a copy of this Breen book, instead of anything else, for Christmas. You WILL thank me for putting this bug in your ear.


Ray

stujoe

<< <i>By the way, RCI advertises Breen for $80 (postpaid) every week in Coin World. I think that's the least I've seen it offered for on a regular basis. Taxay's US Mint and Coinage is also a good choice - less on coins, but more on history and design. They're not hardcovers, but I highly recommend both Scott Travers' Coin Collector's Survival Manual and Carothers' Fractional Money. >>




I have Breen and Taxay and the Travers book and they are all good. Taxay and Breen should be on anyone's want list who has an interest in the history of coins, in my opinion.