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BOOKS! Toughest, out of print, most useful, favorites, just what you really couldn't do without!
bennybravo
Posts: 1,950 ✭✭✭
The Morgan and Peace Dollar handbook by Wayne Miller is probably the most useful book I've owned. What are your favorites?
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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MORGAN & PEACE DOLLARS, The VAM authority! Another of my favorites by Leroy C. Van Allen and A. George Mallis. Would love to learn about the definitive books for every series in this thread to help folks just getting started in a series!
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Truthfully I use the PCGS app often and other online references. However I have many books on hand because no matter what is available online, a book is always hard to beat! I like the Breen book and the red books on the different series.
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The series on Barber coins by Lawrence is terrific, and necessary reference.
Any Overton is another + any reference on Busties.
then there are my hundreds of volumes of the Red Book + The Blue Book.
BHNC #203
As an addendum, if you have websites that you found extremely educational, please share!
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You might want to check out Aspie_Rocco's thread - pinned to the top of the first page.
Pacific Northwest Numismatic Association
Auction catalogs - far and away the most useful references for colonial coins, in my opinion, and also very useful for US federal and other coins. Some notable examples:
Stack's series of John Ford Sales
John J. Ford’s collection contained over 11,000 coins, tokens, medals and other numismatic items covering all aspects of American numismatics - except regularly issued federal US coinage. This massive collection was sold by Stack’s in a series of 21 auctions for over $56 million.
Stack's Roper Collection sale
John L. Roper, 2nd, was "a prominent Virginia industrialist and public figure". He assembled one of the finest collections of colonial era coins ever to come to public auction. The coins were sold by Stack's in December 1983. According to the auction catalog, the collection contained many fantastic rarities including:
Bowers and Ruddy's series of Garrett Collection sales
The Garretts formed one of the finest and most extensive coin collections ever. One of their primary collecting areas was colonial era and other early American coins.
Bower's and Merena's Eliasberg Collection Sale, Part I
In addition to being the only complete collection of federal US coinage ever formed, the Louis Eliasberg collection also contained a limited offering of superb colonial pieces.
Bowers and Merena's series of Norweb Collection sales
Also an extensive collection that contained many major colonial rarities.
Link? For those who don't know who Aspie Rocco is.
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https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1006619/resources-books-links-to-read-on-numismatic-series-errors-and-varieties/p1
The one I look at most often is the Red Book.
I really can’t do without any of them!
Here are some…..
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
I have a book on arcade tokens that was only published in 1984 and 1994. It should have been impossible to get, but fortunately my sister worked in a library at the time and had connections to some national or international database.
Custom album maker and numismatic photographer.
Need a personalized album made? Design it on the website below and I'll build it for you.
https://www.donahuenumismatics.com/.
Hey lets all just share or trade those print books.
I have many coin books.... some old, out of print, and several current publications. However, I keep the Mega Redbook and both editions of the CPG by the computer. Cheers, RickO
This…
History of the US mint published in 1886!
Fascinating and very interesting information about everything related to the minting history and process. Including salaries paid to employees
What's that book on Gorham Silver doing there?
I have a copy. What do you find useful about it?
Overton 3rd edition, and I love the cherry pickers guides... Also love Bolander...
The court jester does not play, but gently pulls the strings…
I have a wide range of interests……
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
I am not the person who posted about the Breen book, but I also have a copy and use it often.
For one thing he has reference material about the creation of every type of coin America made. I often use his book to get a feel for a type of coin I am not familiar with but am looking at adding to my collection.
I also use it quite a bit to cross reference certain varieties and cherry pick opportunities that say the cherry Pickers guide mentions but I am looking for more information on.
I will also mention that years ago I could NOT find a copy of Bill Bugerts Book on Seated Half dollars so I used Breen to identify varieties.
Last of all, I find it interesting to see how many different coins are listed as rare, common, etc. only to be viewed completely differently today.
Just a lot of interesting information about select coins...
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@BustDMs I see some antique silver books in there... It's nice to see that.
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I am curious what kind of Mercury Dime books are out there? I have one, but would like to obtain more if anyone has more information on this.
Thank you,
Jeff
I maintain a list of websites I use for variety attribution here. I put it there so I could quickly find stuff online. Used it today on some late large cents to confirm attributions made with the Grellman book.
Regarding the VAM book, yes, the list of varieties is out of date, but there is a ton of really good information in the book about a lot of silver dollar related topics from ranging from development of the design to the development of the film you use to take the pictures.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
Mine is “Official Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfeit Dectition by John Dannreuther and Scott Travers. 2nd edition 2005.
Very through and covers in detail various issues eye appeal ,strike for all issues and not a generic statement about. Con the pictures in BW and poor quality.Also the coins chosen are random as to what gets pictures and not. Capped Bust Dimes get pics but Not Mercury Dimes.
The counterfeit section is just as through coveriing key dates and other issues.
For those who have the Version 1 Glossy Cover? Morgan Dollar is different in content or version 2 a reprint of version1.
Good book to buy with lots of information. It only $5 or so on EBAY or Amazon.
Wish this book could updated but could not imagine how much time and financial reward for doing so.
To bad PCGS cannot put the book online if they have the rights to it.
Here’s one of my favorites, great info on how to store coins to prevent tarnish
Here’s an excerpt that I just posted in a thread about storing coins in jars with desiccant
Mr_Spud
I have two favorite numismatic books. One is "The 1894-S Dime: A Mystery Unraveled" by Kevin Flynn. I had been looking to purchase a copy of this book for the last several years and I finally located one for sale about a year ago. The copy I acquired was William Burd's personal copy. It is a signed by Flynn first edition, copy #18 of 450. This book is a wonderful complement to my Barber dime collection in addition to my copy of "The Complete Guide to Barber Dimes" by David Lawrence, Copyright © 1991. The note on the inside cover of Guide signed to me, says, "Best Wishes, David Lawrence, 4/22/91."
Do you have The Complete Guide to Mercury Dimes by David W. Lange?
Man, what a prize!
How does Lawrence's book compare to Jeff Ambio's Barber Dime book?
Here is a pretty special edition from the library. I had new covers put on it as the originals were horribly deteriorated.
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.