WYNTK----Numismatic Library Book Listings 0

[supertooth]

Hello Folks----Want to give the entire credit for this idea to "SPIDER". He posted recently that a library book thread would be a great idea. Want also to give credit to Tom B who found an old library thread and linked it for us.

 

Sent a PM to Arch and he will put it all together for us---and place it in the WYNK archives. So, I would encourage all of you to share your knowledge again. Please list any and all Numismatic Books that you feel would be of value for the rest of us to read or acquire. Help us to make a comprehensive list that will include books about every collectible series and beyond. Try to list the author and date of publishing as well---and if you know whether it is still in print or not. You know---anything that would be of value to the advancement of our knowledge.

 

Will start it off with three Walker Books: 1---The Complete Guide To Walking Liberty Half Dollars by Bruce Fox---1993---145 pages----Out of print----IMHO the best Walker book that I know about. If you are serious about collecting this series, try to find and purchase this book.

 

2----Walking Liberty Half Dollars by Dean F. Howe----1989----81 pages----Out of print--- Deals with high end MS coins

 

3---The Walking Liberty Half Dollar by Anthony Swiatek---1983---72 pages---This book is still available---Great pictures of soft and strong strikes. Don't take this little book lightly. It has a great deal of value.

 

And I will add a fourth book called----Coin Chemistry Including Preservation and Cleaning by Weimar W. White----2004---72 pages---Still Available---A wonderful book about things that all of us should know about. Bob [supertooth]

[TomB]

This should be a very useful WYNTK thread for everyone. Since you have invited participation I will list some of my favorite coin books. Obviously, this list will be slanted toward my collecting interests, which should be common theme among many posters in this thread.

 

 

1) The greatest numismatic book of all time, in my opinion, and long out of print is Numismatic Art in America: Aesthetics of the United States Coingae by Cornelius Vermeule. This book is a quality hardcover from 1971 that is long out of print but might be found for about $100, if you are lucky. It has no analysis of die paring, rarities or price guidelines, but is simply a wonderful book about the attempted art on US coinage.

 

2) Official ANA Grading Standards for United States Coins edited by Kenneth Bressett. Each of us should have this book and should use it regularly, especially when considering circulated coinage purchases or when looking at series that we are not intimately familiar.

 

3) Counterfeit Detection; Volumes I and II a compilation of detailed articles by the ANA that first appeared in The Numismatist. These are from the mid-1980s and are out of print but can be seen on ebay from time-to-time for around $10-$15. They are well worth the investment and give die and physical characteristics of genuine coins as well as known counterfeits.

 

4) The first edition of Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection by PCGS. Unfortunately, the second edition of this marvelous book not only is smaller and printed on much cheaper quality paper, but it also appears to be not as valuable a tool for the collector. This is a wonderful book that was published in 1997 and given away to PCGS Collector's Club members, but was later sold for about $35.

 

5) For early half dollars, the classic reference for variety identification is United States Early Half Dollars and Die Varieties 1794-1836 by Al Overton. Unfortunately, the newly published fourth edition of this classic has the name of his son-in-law as the author, Don Parsley, this is a travesty since the work is nearly entirely that of Al Overton while Don Parsley has updated it since Al's death in 1970. I own both the third (1990) and fourth (2005) editions, but I have found that I do not even open the fourth edition because it has so little extra that was not in the third edition. The first and second editions are clearly not as useful and I would suggest you save your money and buy one of these later editions. You may find these editions on ebay or online through Stack's or Sheridan Downey. Though you should be able to find these at $50-$65, plan on spending at least $35 for a used edition and up to $85 for the new edition.

 

6) Edgar Souders published Bust Half Fever in 1995 and a new edition, that I believe is greatly expanded and has more information, was published in 2005. This book contains much more history of the time and delves more into how the coins were used, made and collected. The book is terrific. You may find the paper or electronic version on ebay or through Stack's. I believe the second edition is approximately $85 while the first edition, which is long out of print, will likely run you about $115.

 

7) Contemporary Counterfeit Capped Bust Half Dollars written in 1996 by Keith Davignon, deals only with counterfeits passed off in the channels of commerce, as its name implies. It may be pricey at about $50 for this esoteric niche, but it is terrific, too.

 

8) Jules Reiver published the ultimate Variety Identification Manual for Reeded Edge Half Dollars 1836-1839 in 1988 but this is nearly impossible to find in print and I purchased my copy after looking for several years and paid about $50. Heritage now offers this manual online and free to read.

 

9) The ANS publication titled America's Silver Coinage 1794-1891 from the ANS Coinage of the Americas Conference in 1986 is fantastic. The book itself was published in 1987 and can be had for $15. It contains myriad intellectual research articles on early silver coinage.

 

10) There are also a pair of specialized price guides that are dedicated to the early half dollar niche and include Bust Half Quotes by Fricke and Karoleff as well as Auction and Mail Bid Prices Realized for Bust Half Dollars 1794-1839 by Herrman and Downey Mail Bid Sales by Herrman and Downey. Each of these is $20-$30 and may be picked up through Sheridan Downey.

 

11) David Feigenbaum (Lawrence) published the best book on Barber half dollars in 1991 and it is titled The Complete Guide To Barber Halves. It is long out of print and was only issued in paperback. The spine breaks easily on this book, which likely means that many users have more than one copy. These sometimes surface on ebay, but are more likely to be found from numismatic book sellers for $20-$35.

 

12) Just a terrific book about the history of classic commems is Commemorative Coins of the United States-A Complete Encyclopedia by Q David Bowers and published in 1991. It is extensive and very well written. Although out of print, you may be able to find one for $50-$75.

[DaveG]

I'll add some of my favorites:

 

Coin Collector's Survival Manual by Scott Travers. The 5th edition of this outstanding book was recently published. This book tells you how to go about being an intelligent coin collector, including tips on how to buy, how to sell, coin shows, auctions, the grading services, numismatic periodicals, price guides, etc.

 

Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of US and Colonial Coins. A real masterpiece, it lists and describes many varieties of all US coins. If you want a quick reference to a coin series you're not familiar with, pick up Breen and you'll have the basic facts at your fingertips. Note: This book was published in 1988 and many of Breen's comments are outdated and/or just plain wrong, but it's still an indispensible one-volume guide.

 

Silver Dollars and Trade Dollars of the United States by Q. David Bowers. Published in 1992, this gigantic two-volume set is what a coin book should be! Packed with information, auction statistics, historical comments, etc. Unfortunately, this book is long out of print and commands a premium price now.

 

The several books on southern mint gold coins by Douglas Winter (Gold Coins of the New Orleans Mint, Charlotte Mint, Dahlonega Mint - and, for a bit of variety, the Carson City Mint). Each of these books has appeared in two editions so far, so make sure you get the newest one. Each book discusses each gold coin produced by the topic Mint and gives survival estimates, striking characteristics, etc. If you're interested in southern gold, you need these books!

 

Fractional Money by Neil Carothers. This is a history of the subsidiary coins of the US (50 cents and smaller denominations), focusing on how they came to exist and their use in commerce. First published in 1930 as Carothers' doctoral dissertation, this invaluable volume has been reprinted in hard cover by Augustus Kelley (in the mid-70s) and soft cover by Bowers & Merena (in 1988). If you want to know why so few silver coins were minted in the 1880s, this book will tell you!

[Stanley]

A question I see posted frequently in the boards “ Is this a Vam?”

 

Comprehensive Catalog And Encyclopedia Of Morgan & Peace Dollars

By: Leroy C. Van Allen & A. George Mallis * Fourth Edition

Over 507 pages,

Price from $69.95 – over $300.00. I paid $70.00 for my copy.

 

http://vamworld.wikispaces.com/

[Architecht]

Link to the old list:

 

Old library list

[ibyandsellsmith]

A lot of good books already mentioned, but a must for error collectors:

Cherrypickers guide

the price guide to mint errors, this book goes into detail about the different planchet errors, 8 different types of Hub Doubling, just on and on, very good book,

Strike it rich with pocket change: ok for modern stuff.

[World Colonial]

The best reference book I have ever read is "The Milled Columnarios Of Central & South America" by Frank Gilboy published in 1999. It covers all pillar coin denominations by mint plus provides a historical context on these coins. But you will have a hard time finding it. The print run was was only 500 copies. I bought mine on eBay for $65 in 2002.

[MTHead-migration]

Standard Catalog of World Coins from Krause Publications cover world coinage from the 17th to the 21st Century.

Each telephone directory-sized Catalog in the set covers a specific century starting with the 17th (1601 to 1700).

A great starting point for world coin identification.

[Mike M-migration]

(Portions of this were posted to CoinPeople.com and rec.collecting.coins) --

 

A Guide Book of Peace Dollars by Roger W. Burdette with Barry Lovvorn (Valuations editor, Lawrence R. Stack), 2008, 277 pages, $19.95.

 

This is another in Whitman’s “The Official Red Book” series. The first half (176 pages) tells the full story, replete with illustrations recovered from Mint archives and other sources. The second half is the year-by-year price guide, with linear matrices of prices and certified populations, both by grade. High-magnification pictures illustrate the details of varieties. The Bibliography of 71 sources cites the usual suspects – Taxay, Breen, DeLorey, Julian, et al. – but also the collected papers of Eva Bertrand Adams, Hermon Atkins MacNeil and Henry Morgenthau, Jr., among others, including the National Archives and Records Administration holdings for three U.S. Presidents.

 

In the E-Sylum, Volume 12, Number 05, February 1, 2009, the author,

Roger Burdette wrote - "In researching the Peace dollar, I was fortunate to locate the mint's original project file and de Francisci's personal papers which included material not previously available. This permitted me to avoid second hand and speculative sources, while allowing the people and events surrounding the coin's creation to tell their own story."

 

In addition to a historically validated and citated history of the Peace Dollar, this book also includes a Year and Mint pricing by grade, accompanied with descriptions of varieties, significant examples and collecting advice for each. This high-quality book, 278 pages, color, perfect bound, costs $19.95 -- a bargain in itself.

 

[GoCoins-migration]

 

1) The greatest numismatic book of all time, in my opinion, and long out of print is Numismatic Art in America: Aesthetics of the United States Coingae by Cornelius Vermeule. This book is a quality hardcover from 1971 that is long out of print but might be found for about $100, if you are lucky. It has no analysis of die paring, rarities or price guidelines, but is simply a wonderful book about the attempted art on US coinage.

 

I agree that this is a fantastic book. The good news is that it has been reprinted recently. I have a copy in my home library, but I am at work so I cannot check the published date. If anyone wants to see the product of a talented wordsmith, read Vermeule's masterpiece.

[PennyGuy]

As a new poster/old collector here I would offer the following for two cent collectors:

 

"The Two Cent Piece and Varieties", Mryon M. Kliman, 1977

"Getting Your Two Cents Worth", Kevin Flynn, 1994

"all about the TWO CENTS", R. W. Julian, The Numismatist, December 2009

"TWO CENT PIECES OF THE UNITED STATES" S.W. Freeman, The Numismatist, June 1954

"Longacre's Two Cent Piece Die Varieties & Errors", Frank Leone, 1991

[hoohaw-migration]

Thank you for the bibliography of coin reference books. I have need of a very defininitive guide for Chinese Coins. The Standard Catalog of World Coins is woefully inadequate. Blurry pictures, images that don't match the year, and prices that are not close to market value add up to a frustrating experience.

 

What books do you recommend for Chinese, Russian, and other East Asian Countries?

 

I also love the Australian coins. Thoughts and recommendations would be appreciated for at least 10 minutes.

 

hoohaw

[hoohaw-migration]

I have need of a definitive guide for Eastern Asian Coins, Russian, and Australian Coins. Date range 1800-2010.

 

The Standard Catalog of World Coins is woefully inadequate for Chinese Coins from the late 1800's to early 1900's. Fuzzy pictures, images that don't match the year, and price guides that are miles from market value make this guide a little suspect.

 

Any suggestions? I'm particularly interested in China, Russia, Australia, India.

 

Thank you for your help.

 

hoohaw

[BODIN]

Any recommendations for Kennedy's or Ike's?

[Arizonadesertrat]

For those interested in U. S. gold coins:

1. Garrett, J & Guth, R/Encyclopedia of United States Gold Coins, 1795 – 1933 (2nd Ed.). Every collector who is casually interested in gold coins should own a copy.

2. Akers, DW/United States Gold Patterns: A Photographic Study of the Gold Patterns Struck at the U. S. Mint, 1836 – 1907. If you want to oogle..

3. Bowers, QD/A Guide Book of Double Eagle Gold Coins (The Official Red Book series, vol. 2)

4. Bowers, QD/A Guide Book of Gold Dollars (The Official Red Book series, vol. 12)

5. Loewinger, RJ (Dannreuther, JW, Ed.)/Proof Gold Coinage of the United States. More oogling…

6. Metcalf, WE (Ed.)America’s Gold Coinage (Coinage of the Americas Conference Proceedings, vol. 6). Good collection of articles.

7. Bowers, QD/United States Gold Coins: An Illustrated History. Wonderful reading---a nice historical primer if you are interested in the Eliasberg gold coin collection.

8. Bowers, QD & Winter, D/United States $3 Gold Pieces, 1854 - 1889

9. If you are interested in branch mint (Carson City, Charlotte, Dahlonega, New Orleans) gold coins, get the books by Douglas Winter

10. Dannreuther, JW & Bass Jr, HW/Early U.S. Gold Coin Varieties: A Study of Die States, 1795 - 1834.

 

 

 

[#]

I'm not a grader or authenticity expert; more like a newbie weak collector. I just buy what I like and recently almost got stuck with a fake slabbed Morgan. I know as fast as someone figures one out another example appears in regards to slabs. So, I seem to have no choice but to learn more about spotting counterfeits. About 80% of the coins I buy come from Stacks & Bowers with another 15% or so from Heritage so I don't worry that much. I still would like to be able to spot a fake. I saw some of the books mentioned previously but wonder if any newer books are available documentating these newer and supposed better fakes. Thanks for any suggestions. I collect Morgans as most and Seated Liberty halves and quarters.

David

[Dudley the 1st]

This is a great idea, and I would like to suggest that if possible it should be implemented in such a way that would inform members whether or not the book is for sale or traded with the owners contact information. All the books recently presented in this discussion are great reads. I have a few left in my library, but I'll wait to read some further responses so as not to duplicate any references.

[O mint bug]

There are two books I would like to suggest one is Doug Winters books on collection old gold by mint.

 

The Official RED BOOK A Guide Book of Double Eagle Gold Coins by Q. David Bowers is in a second group of books he has published.

 

The series also includes Books on

 

Morgan Silver Dollars

U.S. Type Coins

Proof Coins- Modern

Indian and Flying Eagle Cents

U.S. Commemoratives

Five Cent Pieces

Barber Dimes

Seated Liberty Silver Coins

American Colonial Coins

 

Hope this helps

 

A collector would benefit significantly by reading any of the books as he does into great detail on how to purchase, history of the coins and determining market values. it will also help you avoid the mistakes you can easily live without.

 

Books are somewhat dated so the prices only make you wish you started collecting quality ten years ago but the quality and amount of the important information is well worth the cost many fold. How to buy is also covered. Grading specific coins is also covered I detail.

[O mint bug]

David

 

You may want to get to know U.S. Coins in Houston, TX 713-4646868

 

David Winters check internet for number

 

Lee Mitchem (sp ) 310-3771299

 

Another dealer told me that after you get to know these three you will have a majority of the wholesaler universe covered.

 

I think you will find these guys very fair and helpful. That 17.5% B.P. is hard to shallow and if a good coin you want pops up in Auction you cannot back it out and have a winning bid very often. Create a want list and get their emil inventory updates if no want list is available. One of the above does auction and charge it but at least you are on par with other dealers bidding on a coin that they many want to sell you at a later date.

[Vitall]

On 11/9/2006 at 5:20 PM, DaveG said:

I'll add some of my favorites:

 

Coin Collector's Survival Manual by Scott Travers. The 5th edition of this outstanding book was recently published. This book tells you how to go about being an intelligent coin collector, including tips on how to buy, how to sell, coin shows, auctions, the grading services, numismatic periodicals, price guides, etc.

 

Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of US and Colonial Coins. A real masterpiece, it lists and describes many varieties of all US coins. If you want a quick reference to a coin series you're not familiar with, pick up Breen and you'll have the basic facts at your fingertips. Note: This book was published in 1988 and many of Breen's comments are outdated and/or just plain wrong, but it's still an indispensible one-volume guide.

 

Silver Dollars and Trade Dollars of the United States by Q. David Bowers. Published in 1992, this gigantic two-volume set is what a coin book should be! Packed with information, auction statistics, historical comments, etc. Unfortunately, this book is long out of print and commands a premium price now.

 

The several books on southern mint gold coins by Douglas Winter (Gold Coins of the New Orleans Mint, Charlotte Mint, Dahlonega Mint - and, for a bit of variety, the Carson City Mint). Each of these books has appeared in two editions so far, so make sure you get the newest one. Each book discusses each gold coin produced by the topic Mint and gives survival estimates, striking characteristics, etc. If you're interested in southern gold, you need these books!

 

Fractional Money by Neil Carothers. This is a history of the subsidiary coins of the US (50 cents and smaller denominations), focusing on how they came to exist and their use in commerce. First published in 1930 as Carothers' doctoral dissertation, this invaluable volume has been reprinted in hard cover by Augustus Kelley (in the mid-70s) and soft cover by Bowers & Merena (in 1988). If you want to know why so few silver coins were minted in the 1880s, this book will tell you!

Hola soy de tijuana espero estar en el foro correcto tengo una moneda Five Cent BUFFALO pero la fecha desaparecio que nesecito hacer para saberla y poder venderla

[Vitall]

Hola soy de tijuana espero estar en el foro correcto tengo una moneda Five Cent BUFFALO pero la fecha desaparecio que nesecito hacer para saberla y poder venderla