Books on Large Cents & Liberty Nickels
jhar
Posts: 1,126 ✭
What are the best titles & authors?
J'har
0
jhar
Posts: 1,126 ✭
Comments
If you are going to collect Large Cents, Sheldon's "Penny Whimsy" is a must. As a matter of fact, it's a must for any collector of US Coinage. Just get an inexpensive reprint, since the plates are not the reason you're buying it. You're buying it for the history.
As far as attribution guides are concerned, it depends on what you want to collect. Large Cents are broken up into three categories: Early (1793-1814), Middle (1816-1839), and Late Dates (1840-1857).
William Noyes has come up with a new set of books that cover the series, but sets cost in the hundreds of dollars, but they are worth it. If you are looking to just some more in-depth study, a "Professional Edition" of the Redbook is good.
Greg Heim
EAC Region 2 Chairman
Go to the EAC web site for more information
If you are serious about collecting large cents, first decide what you can afford. Many collectors are becoming priced out of the early dates. All of the large cent books on the EAC website are worth buying. In addition, volumes 5 and 6 of Bill Noyes' planned six-volume set on large cents have just been published (get vols. 1,2,5,6 from Charles Davis---his website is numisbook.com). If you go whole hog and plan on buying the entire six-volume set (volumes 3 and 4 have not yet appeared), then plan on spending ca. $800, maybe a bit more.
Equally important, note that most of the nicer large cents are handled by a handful of EAC specialty dealers, and that many of these coins trade raw. EAC grading is very different from the market grading practiced by third-party grading firms. You will also need to get the latest edition of Copper Quotes by Robinson in order to correlate EAC net grades with pricing.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
1. The Complete Guide to Shield and Liberty Nickels, by Peters and Mohon
2. Treasure Hunting Liberty Head Nickels, by Flynn and Van Note
3. Guide Book of Shield and Liberty Head Nickels, Redbook Series, by Bowers
“We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”
Todd - BHNC #242
<< <i>Regarding the Liberty Nickels, I would suggest (in the order I see them as most important and/or relevant);
1. The Complete Guide to Shield and Liberty Nickels, by Peters and Mohon
2. Treasure Hunting Liberty Head Nickels, by Flynn and Van Note
3. Guide Book of Shield and Liberty Head Nickels, Redbook Series, by Bowers >>
Couldn't have ranked them better myself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coin collecting is not a hobby, it's an obsession !
New Barber Purchases
I also own Noyes for attributing the middle dates, and the Breen/Borchardt book on the early dates (both acquired from forum members
here at favorable prices - thanks so much guys!). I also have some of the auction catalogs from relatively recent large cent collection auctions -
I highly recommend tracking down some of these if you can, like the Dan Holmes series, and the Wes Rasmussan collection, to name a few.
Good luck!
"Seu cabra da peste,
"Sou Mangueira......."
<< <i>Question - I met Bill Noyes at Long Beach circa 1990 and he autographed his two books on Large Cents (Early and Middle Dates) which I purchased at that time. Are these books being superseded by his new books? >>
The two-volume set is now ca. two decades old, with B/W images, and abbreviated CC information. Since then, "The Official Condition Census for US Large Cents, 1793- 1839" by Noyes/Bland/Demeo appeared.
The new six-volume (when complete) set will essentially replace the old old set, adding color pictures. Importantly, color pictures of numerous CC examples for each variety are included, and the new set will cover the late date large cents as well.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]