Home World & Ancient Coins Forum

Anybody else get more excited by books than coins/medals?

After a few recent book acquisitions in trying to build by medal references library, I realized that I was as excited, or maybe even more excited to get the books than I am when acquiring a medal. Does anybody else sometimes feel this way?

A couple of the recent arrivals that I found interesting:

image

Both of these were a bit larger than I had anticipated. Here's an image with a Red Book for scale:

image

The book on the left is one of the volumes from the Trésor de Numismatique et de Glyptique, ou Regueil Général de Médailles, Monnaies, Pierres Gravées, Bas-Reliefs, Etc., this one being Médailles Francaises Depuis le Régne de Chalres VII Jusqu’ a Celui de Louis XVI, 2 Partie – Oeuvre de Dupré et Warin., published in 1834.

image

As a bonus, the book is ex-libris Graham Pollard:

image

This volume covers the medallic outputs of Dupré and Warin and features quite nice plates, especially for a book published 180 years ago! Below are a few shots of plates along with matching medals in my collection.

image

image

The books on the right are a 1994 reprint of the five volumes of Georg Habich's Die Deutschen Schaumunzen des XVI. Jahrunderts, originally published in 1929-1934. Quite an intimidating set; they weigh in at 25 pounds!

image

image

Sprechen sie deutsche? Unfortunately, I don't image. Luckily, there are many wonderful plates:

image

Comments

  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,194 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Anybody else get more excited by books than coins/medals? >>

    Nope. Wish I could say I was, but I'm not.

    Don't get me wrong, though- I do like books- a lot. And those are supercool. image

    I love the marbled endpaper. Looks like that book is in really nice condition, too.

    And that medal... wow.

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.
  • No but I do enjoy the books. I bought my first ancient coin, a Constantine the Great for $54 with eBay bucks at random basically and after that I was hooked and got this beautiful book:

    http://www.amazon.com/Eric-Encyclopedia-Roman-Imperial-Coins/dp/0976466414
    =Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award 4/28/2014=
  • ZoharZohar Posts: 6,629 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You are the man. Awesome literature to match the coins!
  • AethelredAethelred Posts: 9,288 ✭✭✭
    If i had to give up either my coins OR my books, i hate to say it, but the coins would be gone.
    If you are in the Western North Carolina area, please consider visiting our coin shop:

    WNC Coins, LLC
    1987-C Hendersonville Road
    Asheville, NC 28803


    wnccoins.com
  • STLNATSSTLNATS Posts: 1,597 ✭✭✭
    Anybody else get more excited by books than coins/medals?

    I know exactly how you feel.

    Any time I get a reference that helps me better understand my collection is a great moment for me. Putting together the CNORP, Miselli, and related volumes really opened my eyes and deepened my enjoyment of the material I'd been collecting on and off for years. My 2013 Christmas list this year included a couple of volumes I needed rather than coins or medals and they have been exciting to work thru - certainly way more fun than the last few medals I've bought. I had a similar experience when a friend/fellow collector in Latvia helped me obtain a set of the more or less definitive "Werags" books on Latvian currency (which I'd collected with just the Platbardis reference for nearly a decade at that point). And from time to time I still get the odd background material on the St Louis national banks whose notes I still collect and each time its a little celebration.

    Those are some great references you snagged Joe and its pretty nifty to see the medals with the associated plates. Congrats!



    imageimageimage
    Always interested in St Louis MO & IL metro area and Evansville IN national bank notes and Vatican/papal states coins and medals!
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,194 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'm proud of y'all who would "buy the book before the coin". Sage advice, to be sure.

    I only wish I were that disciplined. Like I said, I do love books, but if there's a choice between book and a cool coin of the same price, I'm afraid I'd probably still grab the coin.

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.
  • IosephusIosephus Posts: 872 ✭✭✭
    Thanks for the replies! Interesting opinions all around.
  • STLNATSSTLNATS Posts: 1,597 ✭✭✭
    I only wish I were that disciplined. Like I said, I do love books, but if there's a choice between book and a cool coin of the same price, I'm afraid I'd probably still grab the coin.

    I'm not sure that it's as much discipline LM as much as having a different collecting objective. I've been a bit of a vaccuum at times and certainly am willing to take the odd flyer and I started several of my collections with a minimum of information. But I have found that what works best for me is to focus on a few areas (none of which seem to be connected unfortunately) and "go to the center of the earth" in terms of depth. To make this work I've gotta have info and have been fortunate in that a great deal of work (esp relatively recently) supports my interests and helps make the connections that keep me going. So, for me, books and other references are integral to my collection and the addition of a useful reference is a little victory often greater than the addition of another coin or banknote. But that's just what works for me. And I do enjoy seeing different approaches taken by other collectors because you always seem to come away with something you hadn't thought about before (both good and bad).

    I do think that a lot of collectors are missing a lot of fun and satisfaction from their collections by not taking advantage of the amazing amount of information available today on virtually every niche of numismatics. But, I'm an analytic type and there's no "numismatic police" so to each his/her own.

    image
    Always interested in St Louis MO & IL metro area and Evansville IN national bank notes and Vatican/papal states coins and medals!
  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,811 ✭✭✭✭✭
    No, but they are a great addition to a collection, whether the coins/medals are present or not!

    Great matching books/medals!
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,194 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Well said, STLNATS.

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,194 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thinking on this, I wonder how many of us have purchased expensive numismatic books despite not owning a single coin or medal contained therein.

    I have owned the Levinson "Early Dated Coins of Europe 1234-1500" book for 6+ years and still have never owned a pre-1500 coin with a date on it. Never have regretted buying the book, though. Perhaps this year I'll buy my first Levinson-listed coin. I've come close a few times.

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.


  • << <i>Thinking on this, I wonder how many of us have purchased expensive numismatic books despite not owning a single coin or medal contained therein.

    I have owned the Levinson "Early Dated Coins of Europe 1234-1500" book for 6+ years and still have never owned a pre-1500 coin with a date on it. Never have regretted buying the book, though. Perhaps this year I'll buy my first Levinson-listed coin. I've come close a few times. >>




    Well I've been extremely tempted to pick this two volume set up:
    SPECIAL OFFER Order a copy of Seleucid Coins: A Comprehensive Catalogue. Part 1 together with Seleucid Coins: A Comprehensive Catalogue. Part 2 and save $70. (GR186/321) $450.

    that said, my Alexander the Great coin was minted under the authority of Seleucus so in theory it's probably in there
    =Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award 4/28/2014=
  • worldcoinguyworldcoinguy Posts: 2,999 ✭✭✭✭
    Great purchases Iosephus. I can say that I shared the same excitement when I found a reprint of the early 1800s Zepernick guide on german states sede vacante pieces.

    The posts in this thread have certainly generated some internal thought on my own references. I think the comment from stlnats about 'going to the center of the earth' is true if you really have a passion for a certain area. I think a solid library of complementary books can augment the 'human interest' aspect of any collection.
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,194 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Well I've been extremely tempted to pick this two volume set up:
    SPECIAL OFFER Order a copy of Seleucid Coins: A Comprehensive Catalogue. Part 1 together with Seleucid Coins: A Comprehensive Catalogue. Part 2 and save $70. (GR186/321) $450.

    that said, my Alexander the Great coin was minted under the authority of Seleucus so in theory it's probably in there >>

    I love Seleucids and find some of the nicely patinated bronze surprisingly affordable. Sounds like a very interesting book. But... 450 bux? Yowch!

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.
  • IosephusIosephus Posts: 872 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Thinking on this, I wonder how many of us have purchased expensive numismatic books despite not owning a single coin or medal contained therein. >>


    That's where I'm at with the Habich books. I currently don't have any German medals, and am not sure if I will get around to buying any anytime soon, as there are plenty of Italian/French/Netherlandish ones which I tend to find more interesting. But I figured, now I'm ready if I ever take the plunge!


    BTW,

    << <i>450 bux? Yowch! >>

    Those two Habich volumes cost that much. Each image.
  • TiborTibor Posts: 3,197 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I really enjoy my library. While my coins languish in a sdb I enjoy
    physically holding a book and reading about coins and history
    even if I do not collect that series.
  • I recently discovered a token from 1812 with my last name on it "Picard". Bought the book "copper commercial tokens 1811-1819", to read the history of it. I think I like the book a lot more. It has also sparked my interest in collecting these pieces.
  • A great question! I was recently wondering if others ever entertained such thoughts.

    I must admit all the knowledge and wonder I've found (and will continue to find) in my numismatic library gives me enjoyment which rivals the coins.

    The information in just one particularly well written book greatly expands my appreciation and enjoyment of the subject coins and numismatics in general.

    Iosephus, those books appear to be just that sort of book. Enjoy!
Sign In or Register to comment.