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 Replies: 11 / Views: 1,045 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9792 Posts |
I am slowly getting into U.K. coinage, and really like the fact they are in a language I can easily understand, and the fact there is so much early history found and found in affordable prices. So far I have fallen deep into the Conder (Provincial 18th Century) tokens, and have purchased at least banker's box full of books on them. Now I find, it's time to branch into more basic pre-decimal coin history of the England. I've seen the Spink "Coins Of England And United Kingdom Pre-Decimal Standard Catalogue" books for sale and they seem to be like the U.S. RedBook. I am wanting something that has basic history overview, photos, and am not so much concerned with pricing as long as the information is solid and the photos are of good quality and not many errors in the book. There are yearly editions it seems so would an older edition say 2016 be just as good for what I need other than the valuations? Or is there a particular edition that is outstanding over the other ones? Shall I look at other series of books instead of the Spink's Standard Catalogue? I ask here instead of in the Book forum as that doesn't get near the traffic or reads as other forums here on the CCF. Seems like not so many people today read books like they once did, sad, but understandable I suppose with all the screen time. I appreciate any constructive suggestions and feedback, my thanks in advance. westcoin  "Buy the Book Before You Buy the Coin" - Aaron R. Feldman - "And read it" - Me 2013! ANA Life Member #3288 in good standing since 1981, ANS, Early American Coppers Member (EAC), Colonial Coin Collectors Club member (C4), Conder Token Collector Club member (CTCC), Civil War Token Society (CWTS) member, Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) & Numismatic Bibliomania Society member (NBS), USMex, Member in good standing, 2¢ variety collector. See my want page: http://goccf.com/t/140440Edited by westcoin
07/12/2023 4:22 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
1319 Posts |
For history I always go to
Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of English and UK Coins, 1066 to Date (2000)
published 1999/2000.
Edited by andyg
07/12/2023 5:01 pm
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Moderator
 United States
34408 Posts |
I like my Spink.  "If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
9792 Posts |
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I like my Spink. Spence, any particular year or edition I should look for? andyg - Thanks for that I had not heard of that one, though I just listened (twice) to the Coincraft interview of Richard Lobel by Greg Bennick, a really interesting interview, I converted it into a mp3 for listening on my phone while talking my nightly walk. https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/626832"Buy the Book Before You Buy the Coin" - Aaron R. Feldman - "And read it" - Me 2013! ANA Life Member #3288 in good standing since 1981, ANS, Early American Coppers Member (EAC), Colonial Coin Collectors Club member (C4), Conder Token Collector Club member (CTCC), Civil War Token Society (CWTS) member, Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) & Numismatic Bibliomania Society member (NBS), USMex, Member in good standing, 2¢ variety collector. See my want page: http://goccf.com/t/140440 |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
I am the same as andyg, - the Coincraft book.
Problem is that it is out of print.
If you ever find a copy at a specialist numismatic public auction, bid high to obtain it.
If you see a copy for sale at a coin dealer, buy it, or at least, get him to get a copy for you.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
856 Posts |
It may not affect you much Westcoin, but Spink reviewed the whole of the Charles I silver coinage section in 2006, changing the numbering for many coins. Anything after that should be fine. That and Coincraft (I like that this gives diameters in the milled section, which can make identification much easier!) are sufficient for an overview. As with anything else, there are many more specialist publications as you go into detail. The main ones are perhaps English Silver Coinage (shortened to ESC) which is in it's 7th edition for silver from 1649 and Wilson Peck's English Copper, Tin and Bronze Coins in the British Museum 1558-1958 (though that's hard to come by and pricey!) People use both for classification I believe. I'd say if you start to focus on a particular area, come back here and people can recommend a more detailed book if you want one. Worth remembering the British Numismatic Society has digitised it's journal, which has many helpful in depth articles. The above is for milled (machine made) coinage (basically from the reign of Charles II). There are other books for earlier hammered coinage if you find that interesting. England's Striking History: A Brief History of England and Its Silver Hammered Coinage is a good starting point, I'd say. Oh, and .. welcome to the dark side!  Edited by Tom Goodheart
07/13/2023 05:50 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9792 Posts |
Thanks all for the recommendations! I got a copy ordered of the Coincraft 2000 edition for under $20 on it's way, and will probably get a Spink's as well in the next few months, they are fairly cheap. The Coincraft seems like a real bargain for what I paid vs. the size of book at over 700 pages and it's a hardbound copy, should be here soon as it was a local online purchase too.
Tom - I do already have a lot of BNJ's (PDFs) for articles on the Provincial tokens, especially the articles by David W. Dykes, Richard Doty, and Gary Oddie. I will definitely turn to it for more esoteric questions I need answered. I have found the English Silver Coinage 7th Edition for around $70-80 and to me that isn't that expensive, as many of the early copper and Colonial American books I have cost triple or more that price. A bargain if it's good I'd say. But will probably hold off until I find one in the wild super cheap or need a copy bad enough to just order it.
Much appreciation and thanks to all that took time out to enlighten me on this subject.
"Buy the Book Before You Buy the Coin" - Aaron R. Feldman - "And read it" - Me 2013! ANA Life Member #3288 in good standing since 1981, ANS, Early American Coppers Member (EAC), Colonial Coin Collectors Club member (C4), Conder Token Collector Club member (CTCC), Civil War Token Society (CWTS) member, Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) & Numismatic Bibliomania Society member (NBS), USMex, Member in good standing, 2¢ variety collector. See my want page: http://goccf.com/t/140440Edited by westcoin
07/13/2023 2:17 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
1319 Posts |
Let us know how you get on with Coincraft - it's probably the only UK coin price guide / reference book I've read cover to cover (!)
There is a similar coincraft (but harder to find) for Scottish, Irish, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
Edited by andyg
07/13/2023 5:14 pm
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Moderator
United States
34408 Posts |
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Spence, any particular year or edition I should look for? Mine is pretty recent but it seems like the updates are largely with pricing. I'm interested to hear how you like your Coincraft as that could well end up on my list of books to buy... "If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9792 Posts |
Quote:
I'm interested to hear how you like your Coincraft as that could well end up on my list of books to buy... Will do Spence! I thought I was getting the book locally as it was coming from Half Price Books and it said Dallas, but when I got my tracking info it is coming from their store in Cincinnati, Ohio and tacking around 14 days via media mail. Oh well, I will update when it comes in or put up a separate review of it in the Books/Supplies Forum, It is supposed to arrive first few days of August. "Buy the Book Before You Buy the Coin" - Aaron R. Feldman - "And read it" - Me 2013! ANA Life Member #3288 in good standing since 1981, ANS, Early American Coppers Member (EAC), Colonial Coin Collectors Club member (C4), Conder Token Collector Club member (CTCC), Civil War Token Society (CWTS) member, Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) & Numismatic Bibliomania Society member (NBS), USMex, Member in good standing, 2¢ variety collector. See my want page: http://goccf.com/t/140440 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9792 Posts |
The "Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of English and UK coins - 2000" book arrived, much faster than it was scheduled too (August 3). It is much larger than I thought at 8.5" x 12" and 1.75" thick (including the cover boards) and yep it does have just over 760 pages, printed on the phone book/newspaper type paper - not so durable, but cheap and thin (much like the Krause World Coin volumes). I thought it would be really thick and more like the size of the Red Book. The quality of printing is good however the images are soft and as good as old technology in halftone printing can be on newsprint paper. My copy seems like it's in great condition for a 24 year book (it was published and printed in 1999 despite the cover saying 2000), the binding is still holding together (save for a couple of wear spots inside) and the copy I received is devoid of any damage or writing (other than a name on the inside in ballpoint ink, flipping through it). So far I haven't read any of it, just thumbing through the book, so more later on the contents, but from first glance I like what I see on sectional history by chapters. "Buy the Book Before You Buy the Coin" - Aaron R. Feldman - "And read it" - Me 2013! ANA Life Member #3288 in good standing since 1981, ANS, Early American Coppers Member (EAC), Colonial Coin Collectors Club member (C4), Conder Token Collector Club member (CTCC), Civil War Token Society (CWTS) member, Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) & Numismatic Bibliomania Society member (NBS), USMex, Member in good standing, 2¢ variety collector. See my want page: http://goccf.com/t/140440Edited by westcoin
07/18/2023 8:23 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9792 Posts |
"Buy the Book Before You Buy the Coin" - Aaron R. Feldman - "And read it" - Me 2013! ANA Life Member #3288 in good standing since 1981, ANS, Early American Coppers Member (EAC), Colonial Coin Collectors Club member (C4), Conder Token Collector Club member (CTCC), Civil War Token Society (CWTS) member, Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) & Numismatic Bibliomania Society member (NBS), USMex, Member in good standing, 2¢ variety collector. See my want page: http://goccf.com/t/140440 |
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Replies: 11 / Views: 1,045 |
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Posted 07/12/2023 7:20 pm
