I’m going to take advantage of Stack’s 30% off sale on books-- what do you think of this book list?

Longacre

I don’t know who received the latest issue of the Numismatic Sun, but it is a dandy. The issue is chock full of interesting articles. Better yet, this is the special “Book Issue”, where Stack’s is generously offering 10% off the first book you order, 20% off the second book, and a mind-blowing 30% off three or more books! I am putting my list together of “must haves”, which I am pasting below.

For those who have read these books, can you comment on whether they are worthwhile to get?

1. “John Hull, the Mint and the Economics of Massachusetts Coinage”, by Louis Jordan
2. “US Copper Cents 1816-1857”, by Howard Newcomb
3. “Studies on Money in Early America”, by Eric Newman
4. “Counterfeiting in Colonial America”, by Kenneth Scott
5. “Penny Whimsy”, by William Sheldon
6. “The Indian Peace Medals of George III”, by John Adams
7. “John Hull, a Builder of the Bay Colony”, by Hermann F. Clarke
8. “The Art of the Medal”, by Mark Jones
9. “Indian Peace Medals in American History”, by Francis Prucha

moonshine

do you have a link to the book sale?

Mark

The Jordan book looks absolutely fascinating. It deserves to be top of your (and now my!) list. So, too, does the Scott book. I am a tad surprised you don't already have Sheldon. Setting aside the man's ethics (or lack thereof) it's also a great book. If it's the book I recall (I'm now at work and can't get to my library), I did not like the Prucha book.

Let me second moonshine's request for a link!

Longacre

The advertisement was in the Numismatic Sun. I don't see it on the website. However, if you call QDB and mention my name, I am sure he will hook you up with the discount.

Aegis3

<< <i>I don’t know who received the latest issue of the Numismatic Sun, but it is a dandy. The issue is chock full of interesting articles. Better yet, this is the special “Book Issue”, where Stack’s is generously offering 10% off the first book you order, 20% off the second book, and a mind-blowing 30% off three or more books! I am putting my list together of “must haves”, which I am pasting below.

For those who have read these books, can you comment on whether they are worthwhile to get?

1. “John Hull, the Mint and the Economics of Massachusetts Coinage”, by Louis Jordan
2. “US Copper Cents 1816-1857”, by Howard Newcomb
3. “Studies on Money in Early America”, by Eric Newman
4. “Counterfeiting in Colonial America”, by Kenneth Scott
5. “Penny Whimsy”, by William Sheldon
6. “The Indian Peace Medals of George III”, by John Adams
7. “John Hull, a Builder of the Bay Colony”, by Hermann F. Clarke
8. “The Art of the Medal”, by Mark Jones
9. “Indian Peace Medals in American History”, by Francis Prucha >>



1) Jordan. Have it. Haven't gotten around to reading it yet, but should be an in depth historical study based on original sources. Check the price though. I think C4 sold off their overstock about a year or so ago, and you should be able to find it from a used bookseller for $15 or less. I don't know what Stack's less 30% would make it, as they seem to have dropped me from their list.

2) Newcomb. I'll let the large cent people answer better, but if you have either Noyes or Wright on the middle dates, and Grellman for the late dates, you wouldn't need Newcomb itself. Plus it'll be out of date, and more important, not easy to use. I'd say buy it only as numismatic literature, not as an attribution guide.

3) Newman. Read it, but don't have it. You want this one, no question about it. Numerous important papers on colonials.

4) Scott. No opinion, tough I'm sure I'd want to read it.

5) Sheldon. Of course you want this. Just check the edition, you probably don't want the Durst reprint.

6) Adams. Don't have it, nor have I read it, and oddly it's not on my list. I'm sure it's a good book though.

7) Clarke. No opinion.

8) Jones. Should be a good book. On my list to buy eventually.

9) Prucha. Important for Indian Peace medals. Go for it. I need one eventually.

moonshine

is there a website URL?

Arizonadesertrat

I have the Sanford Durst reprint of Newcomb's book---it's quaint, and entirely a photo-reproduction of the author's handwriting. There are B/W drawings of specific coins (1816-1857) interspersed throughout the text, and some plates of B/W photos at the end (these are small, and only somewhat useful). This is a book for a dedicated large-cent collector, emphasizing varieties. The casual reader won't find much of interest.

Sheldon's 'Penny Whimsy' is a classic. The first 50 or so pages contain material of general interest, including a discussion of reasoning behind Sheldon's 70-point grading scale. The remainder is a discussion of varieties of large cents (1793-1814). The photos seem clearer that those in Newcomb's book. Get the original edition, if possible

goose3

do you think it will take them over 30 days to get you your book?

Mark

I jsut checked my books. I do have the Prucha book. I do not collect Indian Peace medals, so I was looking primarily for a book to read. And I was disappointed; I did not enjoy reading it. I also have the Clarke book about John Hull. This book was given to me by Andrew Pollock because I had let him examine and take photos of a rare pattern I owned. Somehow Andrew never realized that I was so thrilled that he wanted to examine my coin, I would have given him a book instead of vice versa! Regardless, as I recall I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Clake book. When I was given the book, I had just resumed collecting in the early 1990s and so I did not know who John Hull was. Hence the book might be more enjoyable when approached in ignorance than when approached with some pre-exisiting knowledge.

astrorat

Only 10 books?

3. “Studies on Money in Early America”, by Eric Newman
Good book with decent writing and important information.

4. “Counterfeiting in Colonial America”, by Kenneth Scott
Gotta love books on counterfeiters. Get this one.

5. “Penny Whimsy”, by William Sheldon
A classic, but avoid the Durst reprint unless you use it as a notebook as well. Wait to find an original for your library.

Happy reading!

Lane

Pistareen

OK Longacre, you caught me on a quiet night for paperwork, social outings, and television sports.

1. “John Hull, the Mint and the Economics of Massachusetts Coinage”, by Louis Jordan
--- Lou Jordan is a sprite-like scholar of significant brilliance. A medievalist by training and a professor at Notre Dame, he used his experience in reading ancient script and sorting through barely catalogued manuscripts to create a full paper trail on the Boston Mint. What he found will last as long as Crosby. It's not beach reading, but it's foundational for historians of 17th century American numismatics.

2. “US Copper Cents 1816-1857”, by Howard Newcomb
--- Newcomb liked silver dollars as much as he liked large cents, but we won't hold that against him. It's not much used for attributing varieties anymore (since being supplanted by Noyes or Wright for middles and Grellman for lates) but has a certain antiquarian quaintness to it. Of secondary practical importance despite its historical relevance.

3. “Studies on Money in Early America”, by Eric Newman
--- Gotta have it. Gotta. Period. This was the first ANS-published collection of papers on early American numismatics and the inspiration for all COAC volumes to come. I use this all the time. It includes papers by Newman, Breen, Taxay, Bressett, and more.

4. “Counterfeiting in Colonial America”, by Kenneth Scott
--- While this is an excellent work, it's a mainstream distillation of separately published monographs on counterfeiting in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and New York. If you don't want to buy all the other Scott works on colonial counterfeiting, this would be a great sufficiency.

5. “Penny Whimsy”, by William Sheldon
--- The book that sent my interest in large cents from attraction to full-on love affair. While the variety descriptions are useful and contain information available nowhere else, the prefatory chapters remain some of the finest and most heartfelt writing on any numismatic topic from any era. Foundational. I'm surprised you don't own this. Correct this shameful (shameful!) omission from the Longacre Library of Law and Liberal Arts.

6. “The Indian Peace Medals of George III”, by John Adams
--- This will be the standard reference for a long time. JWA is an incredibly persistant scholar, delving into museum and private collections that had been little examined and placing those objects in an appropriate historical context. This is an awesome work and a gorgeously accomplished book.

7. “John Hull, a Builder of the Bay Colony”, by Hermann F. Clarke
--- An old school biography that was reprinted by my pal Andy Pollock back in 1993. A classic and an interesting narrative. It has been numismatically surpassed in scholarship by Jordan but not in readability.

8. “The Art of the Medal”, by Mark Jones
--- The only book on the list that's not in my library. It's a pretty book and deals mostly with modern material.

9. “Indian Peace Medals in American History”, by Francis Prucha
--- Father Prucha was a Jesuit priest and perhaps the leading scholar of the relationship between the Federal government and American Indian tribes. One of his works was a finalist for a Pulitzer; all of his books contain the same passionate narrative and incomparable research. That Prucha was not a numismatist makes this work even more special, because his interest and love for these objects still shines through despite being an historian and not a collector. The best historical work on Peace medals, bar none. Gotta have it.


I'd rank Sheldon as the most obvious first choice, the Newman/ANS work as 2nd, Prucha as 3rd. Those are the must-haves. Non-coincidentally, each also lends itself to an evening visit to the easy chair.

Aegis3

<< <i>8. “The Art of the Medal”, by Mark Jones
--- The only book on the list that's not in my library. It's a pretty book and deals mostly with modern material. >>



Could you define "modern" for those of us considering this book?

Longacre

<< <i>

<< <i>8. “The Art of the Medal”, by Mark Jones
--- The only book on the list that's not in my library. It's a pretty book and deals mostly with modern material. >>



Could you define "modern" for those of us considering this book? >>





Thanks for all of the commentary on the books, guys!

Aegis3-- here is a link to the MCA, which includes an article about books on medals that you should own. The article gives a brief review of the Art of the Medal book: Link