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What's your favorite COIN BOOK?
Onastone
Posts: 3,813 ✭✭✭✭✭
What is your favorite coin book? One you refer to for mintage or value or information....I always see the "Red" book as THE book to have, year after year. Is it? I want to buy a coin book and was just wondering if there are any favorites to be had.
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I pick up the red book several times a day.
The Morgan Vam book about once a month.
The general Red is best as a general guide for all series.
For specific series Whitman publishes "A Guide Book of ...( Indians Cents, Gold Dollars, etc.) for many different series. These are usually written by the expert for that series and are great.
For pure history and knowledge my favorite is the Bowers monster book "A California Gold Rush History: Featuring treasure from the SS Central America"
Ambio's book on Barber dimes is pretty good.
Taxay: The U.S. Mint and Coinage
Specializing in 1854 and 1855 large FE patterns
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Numismatic Art in America
mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
My most "go to" book is the Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000.
This is closely followed by the current Red Book as a "go to" book.
Must think about "favorites" - probably four contenders.
What an easy read? Abe Kosoff Dean of Numismatics very interesting book.
Want to best preface to a dry book? Read what John Ford wrote in "The Waterford Water cure" bowers. Cornerstone of library depends on what you collect, I like Walter Breen's book
Complete Encyclopedia. Morgan Dollars? I like Miles Standish book best. Silver dollars I like 1&2 of Bowers complete encyclopedia. Red Book is a great book.
Want a "FREE BOOK" ????? Hardbound??? Coins and Collectors Golden Anniversary Edition
by Bowers. PM me and promise to reimburse my postage and I will send you an un opened, unread, NEW BOOK. Regards, Sol ...........aka Michael
Look for 'Abe Kosoff Remembers'.
This is primarily a compilation of many years columns that Kosoff wrote for Coin World. The columns reflect the immediate thoughts of the day and also have many memories, and are sometimes wistful, sometimes sad.
The text of 'Abe Kosoff Dean of Numismatics' is just a Bowers' abridgment of the highlights of 'Abe Kosoff Remembers' plus a rehash of all the general materials that first appeared in Bowers' "Coins and Collectors", and that Bowers strengthened and reused many times subsequently. IIRC, 'Abe Kosoff Dean of Numismatics' has more coin photos, as befits a volume accompanying an auction of rare coins.
'Numismatics' by Philip Grierson, Oxford University Press (1975)
'Coins: An Illustrated Survey 650 BC to the Present Day', General Editor Martin Jessop Price, published by Methuen in association with British Museum Publications Ltd. (1980)
'How to Invest in Gold Coins' by Donald J. Hoppe, Arco Publshing Co., NYC (1970). This book exists is several editions that have small differences, primarily in the illustrations. Wonderful text.
'The Beauty and Lore of Coins, Currency and Medals', by Elvira and Vladimir Clain-Stefanelli, Curators of Numismatics at The Smithsonian Institution/ Photography by Lee Boltin, Riverwood Publishers Ltd. (1974). Strong text and sumptuous photographs.
These were the books that made a big difference to me, finding them when I was still wet behind the ears.
John j Ford and the Franklin Hoard by Karl Moulton. A view into a sordid side of the coin hobby but I think Moulton did an amazing job of describing a very complex story where some questions remain unanswered but some of the names in the field do not come off looking so clean.
"Look up, old boy, and see what you get." -William Bonney.
Grading for Early American Copper Coins
Penny Whimsy
The Red Book
Those are the first the come to mind.
The Complete Guide to Buffalo Nickels, by David Lange. It set the foundation for how I collect Buffs.
Pete
The Complete Guide To Lincoln Cents, by David W Lange
Boudinot, Elias. Orders and Directions for Conducting the Mint of the United States, Established by Elias Boudinot, Director of Said Mint. November 2, 1795. Philadelphia: Printed by John Fenno, 1796.
A reprint is available on Amazon. A must read for anyone interested in the coins of the first US Mint.
Error Coin Encyclopedia by Arnie Margolis Last book published in 2004 covered in detail how various errors occured. No new books on subject since.
PCGS Guide to Grading and Authentican los of information not covered elsewhere
Wish they both could be updated but the first author deceased and the second since it has been as long no interest i guess.
Hoped that both would be on newman portal but not or pcgs website for their book .
Over the long haul, I would have to say the various yearly issues of "The Red Book." I refer to it often.
While I have many, many coin books, I use the Deluxe Redbook almost daily....Other books are more specialized, therefore used less frequently. Cheers, RickO
My favorite book is, Encyclopedia of U.S. Gold Coins 1795-1933, Garrett Guth.
the red book right now and the vam book.