Home U.S. Coin Forum

What was the first numismatic book you owned?

291fifth291fifth Posts: 24,710 ✭✭✭✭✭

For me, it was a 1959 edition of the Whitman Blue Book (Handbook of United States Coins). I received it as a gift in 1958. Unfortunately, it is long since gone.

All glory is fleeting.
«1

Comments

  • koynekwestkoynekwest Posts: 10,048 ✭✭✭✭✭

    1962 Red Book. Got in '61.

  • TommyTypeTommyType Posts: 4,586 ✭✭✭✭✭

    LOL....I read the title, and thought I'd be all alone saying...."Whitman Blue Book"!

    I got interested in coins in 1997 or so based on late night TV coin sales. Coins I'd never heard of before! I went to a local bookstore looking for something....anything....to feed my interest. Blue Book is what I found.

    Easily distracted Type Collector
  • johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 29,312 ✭✭✭✭✭

    a 77 red book

  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 34,846 ✭✭✭✭✭

    13th Edition of the Red Book.

    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • oih82w8oih82w8 Posts: 12,614 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Owned; 1980 Red Book.
    Looked at repeatedly as a child, I constantly re-checked this out from the library;


    (amazon.com image)

    oih82w8 = Oh I Hate To Wait _defectus patientia_aka...Dr. Defecto - Curator of RMO's

    BST transactions: dbldie55, jayPem, 78saen, UltraHighRelief, nibanny, liefgold, FallGuy, lkeigwin, mbogoman, Sandman70gt, keets, joeykoins, ianrussell (@GC), EagleEye, ThePennyLady, GRANDAM, Ilikecolor, Gluggo, okiedude, Voyageur, LJenkins11, fastfreddie, ms70, pursuitofliberty, ZoidMeister,Coin Finder, GotTheBug, edwardjulio, Coinnmore, Nickpatton, Namvet69,...
  • TiborTibor Posts: 3,693 ✭✭✭✭✭

    A 1967 Blue Book. Still have it. Love the valuations.

  • Jackthecat1Jackthecat1 Posts: 1,122 ✭✭✭

    1974 Redbook.

    Member ANS, ANA, GSNA, TNC



    image
  • goldengolden Posts: 9,998 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 24, 2018 1:52PM

    1962 Red Book that my parents bought for me when we were in Panama City, Florida in August 1962. I lent it to a guy at work and the SOB never gave it back.

  • ParlousJoeParlousJoe Posts: 451 ✭✭✭

    91 Redbook

  • thebeavthebeav Posts: 3,934 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Mine was a 1960 or '61 Blue Book.

  • KccoinKccoin Posts: 1,086 ✭✭✭✭✭

    186x Red book from a thrift store for a buck. (About 5 years ago)

  • mannie graymannie gray Posts: 7,259 ✭✭✭✭✭

    1971 Blue Book. Still have it, lol

  • ambro51ambro51 Posts: 13,949 ✭✭✭✭✭

    1960 Coin Collectors Guide. Still a treasured reference showing Barber Quarters in all grades, plus prices which seem to be about what I end up with when I sell that coin today. Well decorated with my Flintstones rubber stamps. The coins I got were dutifully checked off. Among these the battered 1894 IHC I found in the alley behind my house.

  • KellenCoinKellenCoin Posts: 1,237 ✭✭✭✭

    A Kid's Guide to Collecting Coins. My main specialty is now numismatic literature.

    Fan of the Oxford Comma
    CCAC Representative of the General Public
    2021 Young Numismatist of the Year

  • 1630Boston1630Boston Posts: 14,111 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Red Book...........don't remember the year.............late 60's early 70's :smile:

    Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko

    Bad transactions with : nobody to date

  • shorecollshorecoll Posts: 5,447 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I know I had Red Books, but the earliest I remember buying was Photograde.

    ANA-LM, NBS, EAC
  • ms70ms70 Posts: 13,956 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The Mint on Carson Street.

    Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.

  • Insider2Insider2 Posts: 14,452 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @291fifth said: "For me, it was a 1959 edition of the Whitman Blue Book (Handbook of United States Coins). I received it as a gift in 1958. Unfortunately, it is long since gone."

    My copy was my Grandfather's. Still have it in storage.

  • mt_mslamt_msla Posts: 815 ✭✭✭✭

    1964 Red book

    Insert witicism here. [ xxx ]

  • messydeskmessydesk Posts: 20,333 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • BarndogBarndog Posts: 20,516 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Photograde, IIRC

  • WillieBoyd2WillieBoyd2 Posts: 5,275 ✭✭✭✭✭

    A Catalog of Modern World Coins by R. S. Yeoman
    Whitman Publishing Company, Racine, Wisconsin, 1964 (and later the 1967 edition)

    A book with illustrations and prices for world coins dated around 1850 to 1964.

    Inflation has made the values obsolete but the illustrations still help in identifying coins.

    :)

    https://www.brianrxm.com
    The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
    Coins in Movies
    Coins on Television

  • CommemKingCommemKing Posts: 2,202 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Red book.

  • BillDugan1959BillDugan1959 Posts: 3,821 ✭✭✭✭✭

    1966 Red Book. It is still around here, someplace.

  • 2ndCharter2ndCharter Posts: 1,705 ✭✭✭✭✭

    1958 Blue Book that my Grandfather gave me for Christmas in 1957. It's a bit ragged around the edges and the binding is shot but I still have it.

    Member ANA, SPMC, SCNA, FUN, CONECA

  • GRANDAMGRANDAM Posts: 8,771 ✭✭✭✭✭

    1973 Red Book

    GrandAm :)
  • DDRDDR Posts: 1,631 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Red Book
    then Photograde

  • ECHOESECHOES Posts: 2,974 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Let's Collect Coins, C.1974

    ~HABE FIDUCIAM IN DOMINO III V VI / III XVI~
    POST NUBILA PHOEBUS / AFTER CLOUDS, SUN
    Love for Music / Collector of Dreck
  • crazyhounddogcrazyhounddog Posts: 14,071 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Blue book but would have to look at the date. Late 50's early 60's.

    The bitterness of "Poor Quality" is remembered long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
  • 1968 Blue Book.

    Successful BST deals with mustangt and jesbroken. Now EVERYTHING is for sale.

  • ldhairldhair Posts: 7,354 ✭✭✭✭✭

    1961 Blue Book. My older brother left it for me when he went into the Navy. He didn't make it home. It's not only my first coin book, it's my most valuable.

    Larry

  • SoldiSoldi Posts: 2,177 ✭✭✭✭✭

    A Guide book of United States Coins..1966......&.....Adventures with Rare Coins 1980

  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It was a Redbook.... in the mid fifties.... actually found it in the local dump where I went to shoot rats... It was an amazing treasure (although somewhat worse for wear) and I spent hours and hours with that book.... forget what year of issue was.... but it was a bit dirty and slightly worn. Very much usable though - it was with a bunch of other books, likely an estate clean out... And it got 'cleaned out' when I joined the Navy. Cheers, RickO

  • thebeavthebeav Posts: 3,934 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ricko said:
    It was a Redbook.... in the mid fifties.... actually found it in the local dump where I went to shoot rats...

    LOL....What I wouldn't give for a nice, leisurely 'rat shoot' down at the dump.......

  • CoinRaritiesOnlineCoinRaritiesOnline Posts: 3,681 ✭✭✭✭

    66 Redbook.

  • JustacommemanJustacommeman Posts: 22,852 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 20, 2017 9:30AM

    My mother used to read this to me every night before bed as a child

    mark

    Walker Proof Digital Album
    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......
  • TommyTypeTommyType Posts: 4,586 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 20, 2017 9:35AM

    Quick question:

    Do they still publish the Blue Book?

    I haven't seen one in a long time.... (They did seem oddly redundant to Red Book as a piece of reference material.)

    Easily distracted Type Collector
  • AUandAGAUandAG Posts: 24,943 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Blue or Red book, don't remember which came first the chicken or the egg.

    Yes, they still print the blue book.

    bob :)

    Registry: CC lowballs (boblindstrom), bobinvegas1989@yahoo.com
  • cmerlo1cmerlo1 Posts: 7,961 ✭✭✭✭✭

    1979 Red book.

    You Suck! Awarded 6/2008- 1901-O Micro O Morgan, 8/2008- 1878 VAM-123 Morgan, 9/2022 1888-O VAM-1B3 H8 Morgan | Senior Regional Representative- ANACS Coin Grading. Posted opinions on coins are my own, and are not an official ANACS opinion.
  • TreashuntTreashunt Posts: 6,747 ✭✭✭✭✭

    A Guide book of United States Coins..

    AKA the Red Book

    Frank

    BHNC #203

  • SanctionIISanctionII Posts: 12,627 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Redbook from the early 1960's, followed by the Bluebook from the early 1960's. Still have them. I always was troubled by the Bluebook because it advised that the prices therein are what I could expect to receive if i sold my coins. The prices in the Bluebook were so much lower than the prices in the Redbook, which I understood was what I could expect to have to pay when I was buying a coin.

    The differences in pricing astounded me at a 7 year old YN and I thought "How can this be?: it is simply not fair!!!!" It did however clue me into to the realities of the hobby/coin market at an early age. I appreciated that education because is was provided to me at a young age for a the very low cost of the two books and the time it took for me to read them.

  • MrHalfDimeMrHalfDime Posts: 3,440 ✭✭✭✭

    My first numismatic book I owned was a Red Book from the time I first started collecting, ca: 1960 or so.

    The first numismatic book that really captured my interest was "The United States Half Dimes" by Dr. Daniel W. Valentine, the Durst reprint, purchased around 1985.

    And the first numismatic book that really put me over the edge was "Federal Half Dimes 1792 - 1837" by Russell J. Logan and John W. McCloskey, the first (special) copy of which I received pre-publication in 1998.

    They that can give up essential Liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither Liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin
  • TwoSides2aCoinTwoSides2aCoin Posts: 44,623 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 20, 2017 12:22PM

    Like the clothes I grew up in (15 kids in family ), my red book was a "hand-me-down" from the sixties (which I got from a neighbor). I cherished the information and data ever since, even though I left the hobby for a QUARTER CENTury.... (notice how there are two denominations in this revelation ? ) , I've got about 15 or twenty times the reference books, by now. Who can keep up with coins, without books and experts, who've paved the way for us ?

  • BigMooseBigMoose Posts: 1,469 ✭✭✭

    A 1963 Redbook. Followed shortly thereafter by a copy of Dr. Sheldon's Penny Whimsy.

    TomT-1794

    Check out some of my 1794 Large Cents on www.coingallery.org
  • USMarine6USMarine6 Posts: 1,953 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Geez you guys are old. My first was a red book but 2007

  • ElKevvoElKevvo Posts: 4,140 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Hmmmm....the first one I owned was a blue book that my dad gave me. It was a few years old but had coins in it that I never knew even existed. The first one I purchased was a Red Book, probably 1975 or so with my paper route money.

    K

    ANA LM
  • BullsitterBullsitter Posts: 5,916 ✭✭✭✭✭

    '64 Red Book was the first and this one is my latest......

  • jmski52jmski52 Posts: 23,281 ✭✭✭✭✭

    My dad had the 1942 Bluebook and either a 1946 or 1948 Redbook. I liked the Redbook prices better so I updated the library with my own 1964 Redbook.

    Q: Are You Printing Money? Bernanke: Not Literally

    I knew it would happen.
  • DCWDCW Posts: 7,634 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Grandfather let me read his Red Book as a kid.
    My eyes immediately widened as I turned the pages, and I was hooked by the time I hit the picture of the 1955 doubled die.

    Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
    "Coin collecting for outcasts..."

Leave a Comment

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