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 Replies: 27 / Views: 5,220 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2764 Posts |
I am just beginning to learn and collect US coins. What book should I buy. What are the three most important books that any new coin collector should read? Also what're the differences btw "The Offical Red Book" and "The Official Blue Book"? Thanks |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
2764 Posts |
And then there's "The Official Black Book"... as I am searching for books at Amazon, I am kinda lost and don't know which book to buy and start reading them. Thanks, |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3234 Posts |
Walter Breen's "Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins" You can find the book occasionally on ebay, but this can be an expensive book $75-$150. The Red Book ANA Grading Standards |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
764 Posts |
you should get the Red Book if you are looking to buy coins. those values are retail prices. the blue book are wholesale values, which are accurate for if you were selling a collection to a dealer. a good rule to go by is to never buy a coin for more than the RedBook price, and never sell a coin for less than the bluebook price. for a new collector, I recommend the Red Book. also, get a grading guide. there are several good ones: pcgs grading, photograde, ngc grade guide, ANA grading standards. heres a tip: get a new 2008 RedBook; inside there is a mail-in coupon for another book, the expert's guide to collecting and investing rare coins. fill out the form and mail it and in 4-6 weeks (8 weeks in my case) you'll get the book. its a great deal. |
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Valued Member
United States
470 Posts |
First buy: the Red Book at any Borders or Barnes & Noble. Second buy: A Guide Book Of United States Type Coins: A Complete History And Price Guide For The Collector And Investor (The Official Red Book) (Paperback) by Q. David Bowers (Author) Third buy: The Official Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection Edition #2 (Official Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection) (Paperback) by Professional Coin Gradi (Author) |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3234 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1173 Posts |
By all means get the Red Book, but don't slavishly adhere to its published prices...they are far out of date, but do offer some bit of a guide. Remember that the grade of the coin is critical to its value to collectors, so getting the PCGS Photograding Guide is a real plus. Also, if you are interested in particular series, there are often published books that focus just on one or a couple of related series. For example, I've got a book on the Shield and Liberty nickels. So much depends on your collecting interests...as well as how much money you want to spend on references vs. how much you want to spend on COINS!  You can go broke buying refernce books...but a hundred dollars spent on a good reference can save you hundreds or thousands on coins bought later on. I love books...so I tend to favor the "more the merrier" strategy. The internet, of course, is a wonderful addition to the traditional library, but it doesn't replace it ... just enhances, from my perspective. Good luck...coins are fun, coins are cool!  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
986 Posts |
Definately start out with a RedBook. The PCGS Guide to Counterfeit Detection is also really nice to have. Then, either buy a Photograde by Ruddy or the ANA grading standards book. |
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Valued Member
United States
306 Posts |
I would make two other suggestions. 1) Go to your local library and look to see if they have the above suggestions. That way you can see them and other coin books before making your decision. 2) Buy them from your local coin store before buying them at a bookstore. Your dealer may consider it a sign of good faith and be willing to give you more help when you're starting out. Otherwise, they may think you're one of those, "My friend says he made money off of those quarters so I want to make some off of those new Presidential dollars." (Almost a quote I heard from a guy about a week ago. *groan*) |
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Valued Member
United States
73 Posts |
I agree with supporting your local dealer, it just makes sense to do so even if the book is two bucks over a ebay deal. I'm trying to become a familiar face at the local coin shops as I may need a professional opinion once in a while. (8-) Speaking of specifics? Any recommendations for silver dollar books? Ive found some good websites but havent noticed any dollar specific books. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
986 Posts |
Q. David Bowers has written an Encyclopedia of Silver and Trade dollars, but it isn't going to come cheap. Last I checked, a used copy was around $500. If you're interested in Morgans, he has written a Guide to Morgan silver dollars, which can be found at a local bookstore. |
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Valued Member
United States
306 Posts |
Oh, I forgot to ask...which grading book is better? There are two main ones out there and I can't decide which would help a newbie like myself out more. PCGS Photograding and the one put out by Whitman are the two that I've seen.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3234 Posts |
ANA photograde book is the best available...I think.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1247 Posts |
The Error Coin Encyclopedia by Arnie Margolis. New editions are also with Fred Weinberg. This book is important in order to learn the minting process, of the past and the present which, IMO, every collector should know whether they intend to collect errors or not. The Red Book is good, but I think CoinWorld's Comprehensive Catalog & Encyclopedia of United States coins is better. Photograde. I don't believe this book ever went out of print. But you can also find the original 1970 edition in hardback, used, at ABEs. It has better photos against a black background. It's a superb book--*for circulated coins.* If you decide to learn the minting process then Numismatic Forgery by Charles M. Larson, is first rate and I believe is still in print. If you wish to go further into grading try this one-- Grading Coins: A Collection of Readings. Compiled by Richard Bagg and James J. Jelinski. These are former articles that were printed in the NUMISMATIST, the Numismatic Scrapbook and the Whitman Numismatic Journal. These are articles that go way back. Some go way, way back. But it will help you to better understand what will soon become your opponent--The U.S Grading system. I'm sorry to say, but with U.S Coin grading, the tail is wagging the dog. That book too is out of print but can be found at ABEs. Edited by longnine009
06/20/2007 10:39 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1151 Posts |
I will go with the Red Book and either Photograde or the better Official ANA Grading Standards for Unites States coins. May I also suggest a magazine subscription to Coin Values, a Coin World's magazine that has great articles and a good price guide. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1031 Posts |
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Replies: 27 / Views: 5,220 |
Posted 06/19/2007 10:22 pm
