The ultimate gold book....

BECOKA · February 21, 2006 10:53AM

What is the best books available for any and all information on half eagles. I would like an enfasis on the 20th century Indian Half Eagles. Looking for grading tips, counterfiet detection, curious tidbits etc...

Or maybe there is a website that better focuses on this series. Also interested in early Half Eagles.

Thanks ahead of time.

Conder101 · February 22, 2006 1:10AM

For 1834 - 1838 fnd a cpy of the ANS Coinage of the Americas Conference for 1989, America's Gold Coinage. John McClusky has a paper in there that covers all 31 known die varieties for that period. The book wil probably cost $15 - $20.

saintguru · February 22, 2006 1:22AM

Undoubtedly David Akers, Handbook Of 20th Century Gold.

It's out of print but if you look on Ebay or cal Stacks you should be able to find a copy. He dedicates a page to EVERY date, describing the strike and characteristics....then a section on the scarcity of different grades...then a commentary on his opinion of the date and the best examples he has seen.

It is the only book you will ever need!

And it covers $10 Indians and Saints too!

BECOKA · February 22, 2006 3:40AM

So far both suggestions look great and I will follow up on them.

Still looking for more if anyone has info.

Thanks.

mhammerman · February 22, 2006 4:01AM

I'll send you my pre '33 gold book list this eveving when I get home this evening. Congrats on the 10 D and 11 D!

mhammerman · February 22, 2006 8:59AM

OK, the ultimate gold book has to be:

United States Gold Coins
An Illustrated History
Q. David Bowers
1982 3,000 copies

This book will tell a lot about how the series came to be and how they were made.

Another book has already been mentioned and is a must have .

20th Centruy United States Gold Coins 1907-1933
David W. Akers 1988

I can not find my Photo Grade book for some reason but that is good for looking at the way these coins wear but the best of this grading group is the:

Official A.N.A. Grading Standards for United
States Coins

Introduction by: Q. David Bowers
1984

Longacre is kind of the board bibliographer so you might query him.

Good Luck, and you certainly have a very nice collection of indians. You could whip Custer with all those guys!

Oh, Yes, I forgot...PCGS Official Guide to Coin Grading and Couterfeit Detection...this will help with counterfeit detection on this series.

BECOKA · February 22, 2006 9:47AM

Thank you all. This looks like a great list.

mrearlygold · February 22, 2006 10:18AM

mrearlygold · February 22, 2006 10:18AM

Oops

Dentuck · March 12, 2006 10:38AM

You can't go wrong with Akers. Also try Bill Fivaz's United States Gold Counterfeit Detection Guide (which has photos and enlargements of commonly faked half eagles). Bill also teaches courses and gives talks at many coin shows on the subject of counterfeit detection. And you might look into the upcoming Encyclopedia of U.S. Gold Coins 1795-1933, by Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth (in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution).

I wish every active gold collector (and anyone interested in getting started) would spend $20 to $100 on good, solid books on counterfeiting, and also do plenty of research online, talk to dealers and other collectors, etc. The first high-quality, 99.99% convincing counterfeit that they avoid buying will make the book investment, study time, and effort pay off in dividends!

RYK · March 12, 2006 11:23AM

I just nailed a terrific ebay gold book score:

Link

Cladiator · March 12, 2006 11:25AM

Good thread. Might there be any books that focus on the 5$ liberty head coins (1839-1908)? If not which book do you think goes most in depth with this series?

RYK · March 12, 2006 11:32AM

Cladiator,

When I get the Akers book, I will let you know what I think. The best current resources for the Liberty $5's are the Doug Winter branch mint books that cover the D. C. CC. and O $5's. There is also a DW website article on www.raregoldcoins.com that discusses the SF $5's, with one or two sentences for each issue.

DaveG · March 12, 2006 11:57AM

David Akers also wrote a six-volume set on US gold coins in the 70s and early 80s. They're hard to find (and expensive) now, but the dollar book and the double eagle book are available here. I don't own the set, but as I recall, each has a page or so on each date and mintmark. For anything more recent on Coronet half eagle's, look at Winter's books and articles and the recent book on all CC coins (I forget the author's name).

For old-tenor half eagles, I'd recommend Miller's US Half Eagle Gold Coins, 1795-1834, also available at Brooklyn Gallery.

BECOKA · March 12, 2006 3:42PM

Thanks everyone. I will start picking most of these up as I find them.

Longacre · March 14, 2006 1:07AM

As the "board bibliographer" (that's a funny one mhammerman!), I think that the suggestions already given are great.

How did RYK score that deal on the Akers books???

The ultimate gold book....

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