What is your favorite Numismatic Book?

mrpaseo

Please if you will, tell me your favorite Numismatic book for your favorite type and your famorite general numismatic book.

I'm looking for some good reading and would love your opinions,

Thanks,
Ray

cosmicdebris

The Medals of Karl Goetz by Kienast.

General reference Standard Catalog of World COins by Krause.

majorbigtime

Breen's "Encyclopedia", hands down!

Shamika

My favorite specific numismatic book is The Complete Guide to Buffalo Nickels.

My favorite general numismatic book is Tails from a Mint Director (or something like that). This book was written 60+ years ago in San Francisco and it's a great.

The Director talks about the quake that destroyed San Francisco (1906?) in such detail you swear you were there. It gave me goose bumps.

JrGMan2004

Hey Shamika, The Mint Director has a TAIL?!?!

For Specific Type... Federal Half-Dimes 1792-1837 by Russ Logan and John McCloskey.

For General... I don't rightly know...

Bobk

Wayne Millers The Morgan and Peace Dollar Textbook. Bob

MrEureka

For general US, Breen's Encyclopedia is the best. Another great one is Don Taxay's "Counterfeit, Mis-struck and Unofficial U.S. Coins".

For specialized US, try Crosby's "The Early Coins of America".

Lakesammman

The book that is most often found by my bedside (or toilet ) is Snow's attribution guide.

KlectorKid

Walter Breens Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. And Colonial Coins.

Sandhawk

Current PCGS Pop Report

MrEureka

The Mint Director has a TAIL?!?!

And horns.

Now, I wonder what's the real story behind the 1894-S dimes...

Rob790

Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U S & Colonial Coins is the ultimate overall. The ANA counterfeit detection series is also worth getting.

RYK

David Bowers' Adventures With Rare Coins is enjoyable reading, mixes history with numismatics, and has a dated charm to it. It can be purchased on ebay or amazon (used) for less than $15. If you see him at a show, he will autograph it for you. I highly recommend it!

Robert

farthing

Specific - Either The Provincial Token-Coinage of the 18th Century by R. Dalton & S. H.Hamer or
British Historical Medals 1760-1960 by Laurence Brown
General - Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of English and UK Coins 1066 to Date

coinguy89

Anything on ancient coin collecting. It always interests me.

coinguy89

DaveG

My favorite general book on coin collecting is Coin Collector's Survival Manual by Scott Travers. It tells you how to go about being an intelligent collector - how to buy, about the grading services, about the price guides, how to sell, etc. It's the book I wish I had read before I got back into collecting.

My favorite general book on numismatics is Fractional Money by Neil Carothers. It's a history of how our smaller denomination (less than $1) coins and currency were actually used and the appendix has excerpts from coinage legislation.

My favorite specific book is New Orleans Mint Gold Coins by Doug Winter. 'Nuff said!

lordmarcovan

For most useful overall, it's the four volumes of the Krause Standard Catalog of World Coins.

For the most in-depth reference, it's the Breen Encyclopedia of US Coins.

Edit to add one more (and maybe others, as I think of them):

Scott Travers' Coin Collector's Survival Manual is a terrific book. I really like Travers' work. I had the privilege of being in the front row at a talk he gave during the 2003 FUN show.

I really want to get my hands on a copy of Bowers' American Coin Hoards and Treasures , but always seem to just barely miss a good deal on one. (Anybody have one at a nice price? PM me!)

shylock

General: Numismatic Art In America -- Aesthetics of the United States Coinage by Cornelius Vermeule.

IH series: Bower's Buyer's and Enthusiast's Guide to FE & IH Cents

Conder101

Another great book is US Mint and Coinage by Don Taxay.

I have MANY favorite books.

mrearlygold

Breen numero uno

Tom

MFH

I also agree that the Breen encyclopedia is the best book to have but specialty books like Wiley and Bugert's guide to Seated Half Dollars is very informative as well. In depth studies of a specific coin always grab my attention especially if I am thinking of getting into that series.

Cratylus

Another vote for Breen. It's the best general source of numismatic information.
For a specific series, check out Lawrence's books on Barber material. Very informative.

Dabigkahuna

I don't know if this counts?

It's an 1834 report on coinage from the 23rd Congress. Basically it deals with the cost and loss of minting coins out of bullion as well as ideas to do away with the dependency of other countries coins. A great little book that came in a box lot.




Dabigkahuna

LincolnCentMan

Looking Through Lincoln Cents: Chronology of a Series by Charles D Daughtrey

David

Gemini

A few old books that I have that I enjoy owning are "The Coins Tokens and Medals of The Mint of the United States at Philadelphia" 1912 published by the Government Printing Office has informaton such as weights and sizes of coins and medals in the US Mint collection.

Another is "Half Dollar Die Varieties and Sub-Varieties" by M.L.Biestle 1929. An early reference book with no line drawings or photos except for the authors neat photo and his signature. A passe reference but an interesting historic keepsake type of book that no doubt took much labor and dedication to compile.

The last is "Fireside Yarns 1001 Nights" "Reminiscences of an Old Coin Man" copy #428 by Paul Dore Burks 1932. I used to read the interesting stories from this book to my son when he was small and he really enjoyed the stories of the old coin man and so did I.

ccex

I vote for Breen's "Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins" for my favorite general book.

I'm not much of a silver dollar collector, but still vote for Wayne Miller's Morgan and Peace Dollar Textbook in the specialized category.

The books I refer to most often show my collecting interest. Sadly, they are out of print and a dozen years old. Find David Lawrence's "Complete Guides" to Barber Dimes, Quarters, and Halves if you are at all interested in these series.

wingedliberty

The most interesting numismatic book that I have read is Numismatic Portraits of Washington by Rulleau.
Edited to correct, its actually Medallic Portraits of Washington.

Russ

Tomaska's book on proof coinage.

Russ, NCNE

paulheep

"The Complete Guide to Buffalo Nickels" by David Lange Lots of pics, great Buffalo Nickel information.

Paul

DesertRat

Well, since it is the only book I have read (still reading) I have to vote for "The Coin Colectors Survival Manual" by Scott Travers. Of course now I'll have to go look for Breen's

Option1

Breen's
Although PCGS's Grading book get's picked up alot also.

Shamika

<< <i>Hey Shamika, The Mint Director has a TAIL?!? >>



I don't get it.

BillJones

I agree, Breen's Encyclopedia AND Breen's Encyclopedia of United States and Colonial Proof coins 1722 - 1977. The latter book was published earlier and sold at a strong premium for a while. Later it was slightly up-dated and sold in paperback form.

I also really like the auction catalogs from the three Eliasberg sales. It was the most complete collection of U.S. coins of all time, and the write-ups by Dave Bowers' team were first rate. I have those catalogs in their hardcover form, and I would never sell them so long as I am a collector.

NOTE Eliasberg's gold coin collection was sold without his name on it. It was just called "The U.S. Gold Coin Collection."

Conder101

<< <i><< Hey Shamika, The Mint Director has a TAIL?!? >>

I don't get it. >>


When it comes to Mint Directors I am much more interested in their tales than their tails.