Literature Suggestions

It seems my hobby is getting more serious as time goes by. What started as hoarding has turned into studies, and the more I learn, the more I want to learn. Ive purchased a few book, mostly popular Q. David Bower books, and I really enjoy them. I also purchased my first red book (2015 large print) and now I'm digging deeper into coins. I didn't realize how important these little historical time capsules we collect were to our nation and others. How they were made was interesting enough to enjoy them (I'm very passionate about engineering and mechanics) but now the history of WHY they came to be has got me hook, line and sinker......
I feel I need some guidance on what books I should be reading, the bible(s) of numismatic per say, to help absorb some more of this history of ours. Any suggestions? Thanks

Clutchy

 

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I'm currently reading "The coin collectors survival manual." It's by Scott Travelers. It's been great so far for me as a new collector but I imagine others have much more of a reference list than me. Heck even one day they had a thread to post pictures of your numismatic library and there were several!

 

I'm fairly new to collecting myself, winter of 2012/2013 is when I started into the hobby.I did collect cents as a kid but at the moment, I had other interests, like girls and getting into trouble lol.

 

What are your interests?

 

I would like to absorb as much as I can, but if I had to say a certain direction, I would say towards colonial tokens and such. Not so much into ancient coins. And I'm sure that will change also, as time goes by.

 

I have learned a great deal about Jefferson Nickels by reading articles posted by Lehigh96. I have learned a lot from CT, but haven't really got any book suggestions sorry.

 

I'm currently reading United States Pattern Coins: Experimental and Trial Pieces by J Hewitt Judd. I knew nothing about pattern coins and I learned so much about them.

 

MKent, nearly all I have learned is from the kindness of these "strangers". This is a great forum.

 

YES! I meant to say pattern coins as well, but the word slipped my mind.

 

One of my favorite books written more recently is From Mine To Mint by Roger W. Burdette. The book details the development of the US Mint operations during the period of the 1830's to the 1930's. I've found it so full of historical information that I have read it three times and still haven't absorbed all of it. Roger is a stickler for detail and spends a lot of time researching US archives for historical documents. He is also a member here under the username RWB.

Chris

 

Have seen this several times on different threads. How does one best acquire this book?

 

You can send him a PM here or on the NGC forums if you're a member. Roger lives in Northern Virginia.

Chris

 

I just checked, and it is available on Wizard......

http://www.wizardcoinsupply.com/from-mine-to-mint.html

Chris

 

I had just saw this and will be buying it autographed. So cool ! Do you have any pool references? I'm a pool shark in training as well.

 

I just finished posting this elsewhere, maybe you haven't clicked there, yet...

Check out this publication, as well as the right hand side column with various other Online Numismatic References.



http://blog.davidlawrence.com/index.php/reference-books/the-complete-guide-to-franklin-half-dollars/

 

Steven, like most good pool players and other athletes for that matter, you have to have the raw talent, first. It's something that can't be taught. It's an instinct.

I grew up in a poolroom from the age of 10. I didn't have any teachers, but by the time I was 13, I could run 100+ balls practically at will and by the age of 16, I could beat almost everyone in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

There is an old adage that is appropriate for the authors (not all!) of most of the books written about pool..........Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach.

Chris

 

I would highly suggest you read a few books about coin grading. This is an essential skill you must develop before you can be confident in your purchases. I am obviously biased, but I think one of the best books on the subject is the one I wrote (linked in my signature below.) There are several other good ones as well (such as QDB's Grading Coins from photographs).

 

I would recommend Greenback by Jason Goodwin, especially if you generally like US History, Monetary history and are open to some reading about paper currency.

I've recently read a few books also on the subject of the history of the Secret Service (mainly in regards to anti-counterfeiting in 19th century America), Illegal Tender and A Nation of Counterfeiters are both very thrilling and historically illustrative of what life was like and how challenging it was to secure currency, how rampant in the US was counterfeiting and how delicately the balance of banks and how they issued notes, how people horded coins and the extent people went to to find ways to transact without a stable money supply that could barely provide enough coins in production to circulate. If you like Colonial subject matter, a classic title Counterfeiting in Colonial America is also interesting, though somewhat dry and repetitive.

If you are really just interested in coins, then Crime of 1873: The Comstock Connection is an good book and interesting history revolving around silver dollars.

 

If you want to learn about the Comstock Lode, this is an interesting book. For me, where Van Ryzin failed is in his use of references and bookmarks which made reading very slow.

Chris

 

Absolutely well said. I have a friend that is a couple of years younger than me by the time he was 10 he was so proficient with a pool cue his father staked him against anyone that came in. By his teen years he was in every honky tonk that had a pool table and making enough money to support their family and his daddy's drinking. I saw a man throw a cowboy hat on the table and ran every ball without moving the hat or touching it with any of the balls. Athletic ability, like timing, running, judgement are not taught you are born with them. The mediocre can always become good with practice, but the great one are destined to be just that it only improves with training.