Where do you get most of your numismatic knowledge?

Longacre · January 19, 2005 5:22AM

I think there are several places where one can get knowledge of the coin market and collecting. The first is through this messsage board. I tend to pick up a lot of little tidbits that I would not know otherwise. The unfortunate thing is that there is only so much you can write on the boards and cannot get really in depth on topics of interest. But the exchanges on the boards are very helpful. So I use them to get general knowledge.

The other way is through books. I tend to read a lot and buy a lot of books (and I actually do read them). I use these to gain specialized knowledge in a particular field that I am interested in. However, I find that the true reference books are only good to a point. For example, there are some good books on C, D, and O gold. I use these to learn specifics about certain coins, such as numbers in existance, rarity levels, typical strike, etc.

What I find sometimes to be the most useful are the more general/historical books. For example, the Bowers books on US Gold Coinage and the History of US Coinage (Garrett collection) have helped me a lot in understanding WHY certain issues are scarce, WHY certain coins are poorly struck, under what circumstances the mints came into existance and the troubles they had with minting coins. These types of books seem to pull it all together for me, in terms of understanding the coins I am interested in.

What do you do to increase your knowledge?

Russ · January 19, 2005 5:24AM

Here and the mistakes I make.

Russ, NCNE

GoYankees · January 19, 2005 5:25AM

<< <i>Here and the mistakes I make.

Russ, NCNE >>

Ditto

keoj · January 19, 2005 5:29AM

A couple of sources:

- Auction Catalogs: This is a mixed bag, some are great, others are just okay.

- Books: I still find Breen's, Bowers Silver Dollar Encyl. and a few others are the ones that a "dog-eared".

- Heritage Auction Archives (Thanks Heritage!): Pictures and prices paid!

- Journals: Gobrecht Journal (current and old editions) for Liberty Seated Coinage Info

- Personal Database: For the series I collect, I've been tracking all sales, grades, prices for the last ten years

- PCGS and NGC Pop reports: Yeah, I know they are not accurate, but I hope they are consistently inaccurate:-)

keoj

Shamika · January 19, 2005 5:35AM

School of Hard Knocks!

LanLord · January 19, 2005 5:52AM

I would have to say I've learned the most valuable information here.

I have picked up some information from trade rags like Numismatic News and CoinWorld. But that information is generally just the basics. The real power information came from the brainiacs here on these boards.

JrGMan2004 · January 19, 2005 5:58AM

And a CD of articles from Craig Sholley (Rittenhouse) that I haven't had the time yet to look at, but I know I will learn tons off that CD

RYK · January 19, 2005 6:03AM

I get information on the ins and outs of the coin business, ebay, grading, etc. here.

I read as much as I can about the series I collect, including old auction catalogs, which are, IMO, the best value in numismatics. I am thinking of expanding my collection into the 19th century.

As per individual coins in the series I collect, specialty dealers and advanced collectors are the greatest resource. For New Orleans and Dahlonega gold, no active dealer has seen, bought, and sold more of these than Doug Winter. He has literally written the book. IMO, anyone collecting these coins without someone like DW is fighting with one hand pinned behind his back. Board member, "Dahlonega", provides expertise in southern gold from a collector's perspective. Al Adams (Gold Rush Gallery) is a Dahlonega specialist who lives and works at "ground zero" (Dahlonega, GA) uncovering southern gold collections in the South.

I chuckled on another thread when someone referred to me as a "gold expert." I do not know jack____, but by associating with those that do, dealers and advanced collectors alike, I have been able to learn a lot quickly and at least appear as someone who is knowledgeable. It's a start!

mgoodm3 · January 19, 2005 6:05AM

Here.

relayer · January 19, 2005 7:47AM

Hanging around street corners

Outhaul · January 19, 2005 7:56AM

<< <i>Here and the mistakes I make. >>

Pistareen · January 19, 2005 8:08AM

Three sources:

Reading every &^%$ numismatic book, article, and auction catalogue I can get my paws on.

Asking people I respect every question I can think of.

Re-reading the above-mentioned books, articles, and catalogues again to see what I missed.

Do that for a decade or so and you might be surprised what you can learn. Once you're brave enough to admit how ignorant you really are, it becomes a lot easier to ask questions and actually take note of what the answers are, rather than just being proud of yourself for asking. To paraphrase Yogi Berra, you can learn a lot just by listening.

This is a good time to thank all those folks (including board members like MrEureka, Julian, and the oft-missed Rittenhouse) who actually answered all those pesky questions I asked when I was a snot-nosed teenager. Thanks!

And remember, experts are experts because they know what they don't know.

DaveG · January 19, 2005 10:51AM

Speaking of more general books about how coins were actually used, you might like "Fractional Money" by Neil Carothers, which is about how subsidiary (smaller denominations than a dollar) coins were used from the earliest days in the US to about 1900. It discusses how the US economy and various laws (Sherman Silver Purchase Act, etc.) affected coins, talks about how/why silver coins disappeared in 1861, where they went and why they came back in the 1870s, etc. It also talks a little about silver dollars and gold coins.

The book is Carothers' dissertation, was published in 1930 and reprinted by Bowers & Merena in 1988. I think you'll have to look around for it; I haven't seen it in stock at numismatic booksellers for several years.

Yousri · January 19, 2005 10:55AM

Here, rcc newsgroup, reading and number one is my mistakes.

CaptainRon · January 19, 2005 11:14AM

RCNH - Has really opened my eyes up to look for nice original coins, and have offered plenty of advice regarding such.

Regarding grading and my series of choice - Well I've learned a lot from the boards, and can not thank enough the forum members that really know what they are talking about, and are willing to share it with the rest of us.

Though the biggest lesson I've learned about the boards that has helped me out quite a bit, and saved me quite a bit of time is: Realizing there are plenty members that actually don't have a clue, yet believe they do, and have no problem voicing their opinions as fact. Once I've started to realize how to recognize the BS from the actual knowledge threads, the confusion was minimized and the learning really began to take off.

Thanks to all of those that have the knowledge and are willing to share.

mrdq · January 19, 2005 11:18AM

I have been reading books and looking at coins for almost 30 years but i've learned more in 3 years here than the 27 previous to that combined.

MANY Great coin brains have left these forums but new ones come and fill some big shoes.

These forums have been really REALLY valuable to me and (don't tell PCGS) i'd pay to be here but catch 22 most of the contributors wouldn't, then i'd cancel