Home U.S. Coin Forum

New (relatively) ex-lurker; Your essential numismatic books?

Hello to all. I've lurked for a long time, and only recently joined the fray. I'm basically a type collector, living in SE Florida's hurricane zone (two in a row right through Stuart/Port St. Lucie last year, and I was in South Dade for Andrew). Also, a self employed drafter grinding through architectural school, so my coin time (and budget) is getting some stiff competition.

We always hear, and often repeat the old "Buy the book before you buy the coin" so I wanted to get some ideas as to which coin books are indespensible to you?

Red Book is a given for good, general purpose info across a broad spectrum of U.S. material. My Photograde and PCGS Grading books, of course. Also, just picked up Bower's Red Book of US Type (excellent) and Lange's 2nd edition Guide to Buffalo Nickels. The Lange Buffalo guide is really excellent work, and the background/historical info section is really in depth, and quite interesting.

How 'bout you?


Dan C.

Comments

  • vega1vega1 Posts: 941
    Hey, a fellow type collector, cool!image

    Personally I really like Breen's Encyclopedia of US Coins. Its big, heavy, expensive (~$100), and has proven to have some errors and/or opinons expressed as fact, but in my opinion its a really good referrence and full of good info.
  • LongacreLongacre Posts: 16,717 ✭✭✭
    I tend to buy specialized books on gold becuase that is what I collect. I also buy a lot of "general" books to round out my knowledge, such as books by QDB on more historical issues, like the gold rush, etc.
    Always took candy from strangers
    Didn't wanna get me no trade
    Never want to be like papa
    Working for the boss every night and day
    --"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
  • pharmerpharmer Posts: 8,355
    Breen's US Encyclopedia of US and Colonial Coins
    Cherrypicker's Guide
    Mercenary's Guide to the Rare Coin Market
    Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

    Apropos of the coin posse/aka caca: "The longer he spoke of his honor, the tighter I held to my purse."

    image
  • LanLordLanLord Posts: 11,672 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Let your interests be your guide.

    If you're interested in bust half dollars, you will want at least an Overton's catalog. There are a couple other good bust half books too.

    If you are looking at various seated coins, there are some nice moderately informative books with a date/mm breakdown of each coin.

    Lincolns your thing? David Lang has a nice book for you.

    IHC and Flying Eagles? Snow and a few others have some nice texts.


    So it really gets down to what you are going to purchase. There are a great many different books, on nearly every subject. Go to Amazon.com or Brooklyn Galleries for a nice list of books that deal with a wide variety of numismatic areas of interest.

    Good luck in which ever you choose, you are certainly taking the correct step in getting educated before buying.
  • DJCDJC Posts: 787
    Can't believe I forgot Breen's Encyclopedia!!! image

    Just ordered mine from Amazon late last week.


    Anyone else?
  • michaelmichael Posts: 9,524 ✭✭
    oh my my my mymy my my my mymy my my my my


    breens encyc of usa coins
    breens encyc of usa proof coins
    pcgs and ngc current poip reports but you can get those online
    pcgsand ngc pops from 1998 before the boom started these help compairing them to now it answers many questions and shows interesting patterns

    mehls numismatic monthly mag 1908 -1916 invaluable!!

    bowers indian head cent book
    bowers silver dollar books
    three dollar gold pieces by bowers and winters
    akers complete set on gold
    breen one dollar gold piece book
    first edition color photos pcgs grading guide************
    brown and dunn grading guide the true grading guide for circ to au usa coinage*************
    ana grading guide
    photograde but most of the coin grade photos are overgraded by 3/4 to one point so use this guide when you are selling!!!!!!
    sweitek usa commem coins
    laibstain buying selling collecting slabbed early commem coins
    taxays usa coin encyc
    miller silver dollar book
    coin world usa coin almanac
    goes book the mint on carson street***********
    the new judd pattern coin book
    somewhat the red book but maNY EARLY pre 1915 proof ERRORS in mintages
    federal half dimes till 1835
    early usa dimestill capped bust series


    most important for the online library!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!and its free

    ngc pop report
    heritage auction archiv4es and price guide and numismedia circ coin price guide accessed free thruogh heritage
    teletrade prices realized price guide
    anr coins pricesz realized prices
    goldberg coins free prices realized
    bowers and merena free prices realized guide

    if i thinksof more i will get back to thee!!
    ecoinage price guide for past auctions

  • MrHalfDimeMrHalfDime Posts: 3,440 ✭✭✭✭
    I think LanLord said it best. Your specific collecting interests will dictate just which references should be in your library. I can heartily agree with all of the references previously mentioned. If your interest stems from an underlying interest in US history, you might consider the following:

    "The U. S. Mint and Coinage", Don Taxay
    "History of the First United States Mint", Frank Stewart

    If you are interested in the process by which our coins are made, you might also consider the following:

    "The Art and Craft of Coinmaking", Denis R. Cooper

    Or if you are more interested in fiscal policy and economics, I would strongly recommend"

    "Fractional Money", Neil Carothers

    I would not be without any of these essential books in my numismatic library.

    Within your specific area of interest, there are no doubt specialty clubs which publish journals with articles related to that specialty. For the early Federal coins, there is the John Reich Collectors Society (JRCS), and the John Reich Journal. For the Liberty Seated collectors, there is the Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC), and their award winning Gobrecht Journal. Early copper collectors have the Early American Coppers, and the Penny Wise journal. There are specialty clubs for the Bust half collectors, the Flying Eagle and Indian Cent collectors, and many others. These specialty clubs and their journals can provide essential reading for any specialist.

    For any serious collector or numismatist, their library should grow at least as fast as their collections.
    They that can give up essential Liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither Liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin
  • DJCDJC Posts: 787


    << <i>I think LanLord said it best. Your specific collecting interests will dictate just which references should be in your library. I can heartily agree with all of the references previously mentioned. If your interest stems from an underlying interest in US history, you might consider the following:

    "The U. S. Mint and Coinage", Don Taxay
    "History of the First United States Mint", Frank Stewart

    If you are interested in the process by which our coins are made, you might also consider the following:

    "The Art and Craft of Coinmaking", Denis R. Cooper

    Or if you are more interested in fiscal policy and economics, I would strongly recommend"

    "Fractional Money", Neil Carothers

    I would not be without any of these essential books in my numismatic library.

    Within your specific area of interest, there are no doubt specialty clubs which publish journals with articles related to that specialty. For the early Federal coins, there is the John Reich Collectors Society (JRCS), and the John Reich Journal. For the Liberty Seated collectors, there is the Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC), and their award winning Gobrecht Journal. Early copper collectors have the Early American Coppers, and the Penny Wise journal. There are specialty clubs for the Bust half collectors, the Flying Eagle and Indian Cent collectors, and many others. These specialty clubs and their journals can provide essential reading for any specialist.

    For any serious collector or numismatist, their library should grow at least as fast as their collections. >>



    Thanks!!!
    I've collected on and off for close to twenty years, and came back seriously about two years ago, after a five year hiatus. Since coming back, I've stuck mostly to type for my collection, waiting for an area to "catch my eye" to specialize in. However, I've always enjoyed all aspects of coinage and the history surrounding it, so those recommendations are highly appreciated.
  • BarndogBarndog Posts: 20,454 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Threads about essential numismatic literature deserve regular sunlight...

    My additions to the titles already mentioned:

    -A Guide Book Of United States Type Coins: A Complete History And Price Guide For The Collector And Investor (The Official Red Book) (Paperback) by Q. David Bowers (Author)
    -Auction catalogs of coins series of interest. One of my favorites is the three-volume catalog Heritage produced for the sale of the Jules Reiver collection.

  • RWBRWB Posts: 8,082
    If I may be forgiven for mentioning my own books. “Renaissance of American Coinage 1905-1908” and “Renaissance of American Coinage 1916-1921” are quickly becoming acknowledged as authoritative sources for information on the Saint-Gaudens/Pratt gold and the 1916-1921 silver coin designs. Both contain background information, preliminary design and pattern information that is available nowhere else. Both are also being used as primary research sources for many of the new specialty books by some of the authors mentioned in posts, above, and by major auction companies. However, neither volume is a date-and-mint book, so they do not compete with that type of specialty work.
  • LongacreLongacre Posts: 16,717 ✭✭✭


    << <i>If I may be forgiven for mentioning my own books. “Renaissance of American Coinage 1905-1908” and “Renaissance of American Coinage 1916-1921” are quickly becoming acknowledged as authoritative sources for information on the Saint-Gaudens/Pratt gold and the 1916-1921 silver coin designs. Both contain background information, preliminary design and pattern information that is available nowhere else. Both are also being used as primary research sources for many of the new specialty books by some of the authors mentioned in posts, above, and by major auction companies. However, neither volume is a date-and-mint book, so they do not compete with that type of specialty work. >>




    Both of these books get a Longacre Thumbs Up™
    Always took candy from strangers
    Didn't wanna get me no trade
    Never want to be like papa
    Working for the boss every night and day
    --"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
  • For a LOT of general numismatic information I still advocate The Coin World Almanac, any edition other than the 2000 Millennium edition.
  • Barndog... would you consider changing your icon?

    It always reminds me of ManofCoins... someone I'd rather forget!!
    "Wars are really ugly! They're dirty
    and they're cold.
    I don't want nobody to shoot me in the foxhole."
    Mary






    Best Franklin Website
  • BarndogBarndog Posts: 20,454 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Barndog... would you consider changing your icon?

    It always reminds me of ManofCoins... someone I'd rather forget!! >>



    My Uncle Sam is the "friendly and polite" Uncle Sam and MOC had the "I'm gonna kick your ass" Uncle Sam. While I ascribe to the ass kicking mentality in my political views, I prefer to do it with a smile. Plus, the people who look for my posts -- there are an elite few who do image -- would have to be retrained. Retraining these guys would be very very tough. One of my fellow CBHD enthusiasts changes his icon regularly, but the rest of us understand that he is young, and is therefore forgiven.

Leave a Comment

BoldItalicStrikethroughOrdered listUnordered list
Emoji
Image
Align leftAlign centerAlign rightToggle HTML viewToggle full pageToggle lights
Drop image/file