Which numismatic reference (book or catalog) of yours is in the worst physical shape?

RYK · August 27, 2005 2:13AM

Certainly some are constructed better than others, so physical wear and tear does not necessarily equate use. That said, my Eliasberg US Gold Collection catalog is in such tatters that I had to purchase a second copy to keep on the shelf.

Gonfunko · August 27, 2005 2:24AM

The Cherrypicker's Guide. The front and back covers have fallen off, the pages are ragged, some are only halfway attached to the spiral binding, and it's got a stain or two.

wam98 · August 27, 2005 2:42AM

My old ANA Grading book purchased around 1980. Held together with glue and duck tape.

mdwoods · August 27, 2005 2:55AM

I have a auction catalog for the 1989 Jack Robison sale of 1/2 and large cents. I use it as a reference for large cents. It has good diagnostics in the description. Many of the pages are loose from use and the probability that the paper bound catalogs weren't meant to last this long.

Coinosaurus · August 27, 2005 2:56AM

The binding on my Breen is split in two

BillJones · August 27, 2005 3:06AM

Breen's Encyclopedia – I think one even looks at those books the pages fall out. Ditto for his “Giant Red Book of half cents” which is not as bad as my Encyclopedia because I don’t use it as much.

Something about those to Breen books makes them fall apart.

TorinoCobra71 · August 27, 2005 3:07AM

My PaperBack PHOTOgrade............

TorinoCobra71

Coinosaurus · August 27, 2005 5:00AM

<< <i>Breen's Encyclopedia – I think one even looks at those books the pages fall out...Something about those to Breen books makes them fall apart.

>>

Probably he went to a high end publisher and was told he couldn't afford the deluxe binding

Pistareen · August 27, 2005 6:30AM

Either my Robbie Brown I catalogue (1986, a full set of large cents) or my Frederick Taylor catalogue (1987, variety runs of every major state copper series and many other colonials). I used to carry both around in my backpack as traveling attribution guides in middle school through college. Both were among the 5-6 books that actually made it into my first year college dorm room.

My Breen Encyclopedia is also shaking pages, and some jerk has been writing in it for 10+ years.

MrEureka · August 27, 2005 6:34AM

My Breen Encyclopedia is also shaking pages, and some jerk has been writing in it for 10+ years.

...no doubt channeling the spirit of the author!

But of course we already knew that.

MrEureka · August 27, 2005 6:36AM

Krause puts out a guide to North American coins. When I got it, I immediately ripped out the Canadian and US sections and trashed them. The remaining Mexican section looks like it spent the past five years partying in Tijuana.

lordmarcovan · August 27, 2005 6:49AM

My 20th century Krause catalogs are a little dogeared. It isn't hard to do, with the thin, almost onionskin paper they use for the pages. (I guess they have to or the book would weigh 10 pounds).

My Breen Encyclopedia is OK but I have always read it gingerly, since I was aware of the binding flaws that plague those.

Conder101 · August 28, 2005 8:34PM

About half the pages in my Robbie Brown and Jack Robinson catalogs are individual pages now. The cover is off my copy of Dalton & Hamer and the rest of the binding is shaky.

Bill, Are you actually having problems with the Breen half cent book? I've used the living daylights out of mine and the book and binding is still pretty solid. No loose pages. The half cent book was a quality binding job.

Longacre · August 28, 2005 11:04PM

My ANR Oliver Jung catalog completely fell apart. I attend the auction in person, so maybe I was holding on to it too tightly out of fear that I might be inadvertantly recognized as bidding on a coin. I could not afford anything in the sale, and I thought if I sat on my hands in the room that would have looked a bit silly.

MrHalfDime · August 28, 2005 11:28PM

Not too surprisingly, my copy of the Durst reprint of the Valentine half dime reference is pretty well beat from excessive usage (lousy photo plate quality, but it is my field copy). I also have an old copy of the Evans "History of the United States Mint" ca 1885 that has seen better days, but it was purchased that way. However, I am relieved to hear that others have suffered the same fate as I with the Breen Encyclopedia. I try to treat my books with care and respect, but the binding on that reference has split in half and is spilling pages each time I take it down. Too expensive to replace, so I learn to live with it.

Cameonut · August 29, 2005 12:18AM

Count my Breen as one of those that is split in two.

The rest of my library is in good shape.

Merc · August 29, 2005 12:37AM

My 1st ed PCGS grading book has the most wear. It is just a paperback so the corners fold up. I've read the whole thing and memorized many of the pictures. It went with me to San Franciso and back this summer so the book has a lot of miles on it.

JadeRareCoin · August 29, 2005 12:51AM

My Breen Encyclopedia is falling to pieces at this time, although I have a fresh copy on the shelf for the near future. I bought multiple copies of Browning and Overton as they are in pretty bad shape too.

A serious colonial coin collector in Chicago has a Fredrick Taylor catalog that is in such bad shape that it is carried in a plastic bag. Every page is loose and just plain beat to hell. My Taylor is in very nice condition as I had to pay $$$ to get a copy and I know that they are hard to find these days. I am very careful with my Taylor.

Tootawl · August 29, 2005 1:14AM

My Friedburg book has seen better days.

seanq · August 29, 2005 5:11AM

My copy of the third edition of the Cherrypickers Guide. I got smart and ordered Volume four with spiral binding instead, but of course I still need to use Volume three for attributing denominations larger than a dime.

Sean Reynolds

Cladiator · August 29, 2005 5:12AM

my Krause world

mozin · August 29, 2005 9:57AM

My Bust Half Overton 3rd edition already had the binding repaired professionally.

cladking · August 29, 2005 11:01AM

It's a tie between my Atwood Coffee transportation token catalog and 1976 Krause, though
my The Kennedy half Dollar book is starting to get pretty ratty.

RpmHunter · August 29, 2005 11:16AM

My Rpm book second edition, what a surprise huh? The cover is off, several of the first pages are tattered and it has multiple known and unknown stains and spots throughout. It certainly has character.

Scott

EagleEye · August 29, 2005 2:21PM

My Fuld Civil War Store Card Book is getting a bit ratty.

Which numismatic reference (book or catalog) of yours is in the worst physical shape?

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