Best book for a beginner collector?

Hey Everyone,

What is the definitive book every beginner U.S coin collector should have?

Thanks

 

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A Guide Book of United States Coins
R. S. Yeoman, edited by Kenneth Bressett

(Popularly known as the Red Book)

Absolutely, without question, #1 on the list for any new collector of US coins.

 

perfect. thank you.

 

ANA Grading Standards

 

I also like this, but only after you get the redbook and the ANA grading book.

 

Red Book is a must have. Cherry Pickers is good. It really depends what you collect but Red Book is so key.

 

Another vote for the Red Book. I still reference it, not so much for the values but for the general information about a coin, e.g. mintage, relative grading standards and such.

The previous years' edition can often be had very inexpensively after the next release, for the collector on a budget.

 

Yes the Red Book. My first one is 1959 and I just the values then and what I learned when I was a kid. ANA grading guide as well.

 

Red Book

Red Book!

 

Where's Frank at?? I sure he would say Red Book.

 

1. Red Book
2. ANA grading standards (circulated coins)
3. "How To Grade US Coins" - Halperin (mint state coins)

Consider this : no one can learn to play piano by reading a book. Same is true in coins. Numismatics is partly knowledge, but mostly it is a skill to be mastered - or rather a broad ranging set of skills.

So read the books, then get into action - hit the shop or coin show bourse floor. Look at lots and lots of coins, ask lots of questions, and practice grading. Do all these things with both slabbed and raw coins. Bounce your ideas off of dealers and ask for their critique.

 

If you find yourself gravitating towards one particular series, look for the specialist book on that series. Maybe you really like Mercury Dimes, or Buffalo nickels. Whatever. Find the book for that series; it will go way beyond the Red Book.

Also... join the club for that series. They have specialist journals (usually quarterly) which supplement books.

 

i'm heading to kearney Wednesday, any nebraska people know of any coin shops there i might be able to pick one up at?

 

Yep.

 

So I checked with my dad to see if he had the red book. Sure enough he has 2 of them, one is from 1983 and the other from 1952.
I'm assuming I should still get the newest one though, since these are so old, correct?

 

Yes.

Since you will be using it a lot, and leaving it open on the desktop, it tends to "break the back" of the book. For that reason, consider a spiral bound.

http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Book-Un...=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263592500&sr=8-3

 

[I missed this thread!]

 

nice.

 

The 1952 RED BOOK could be worth some money. Is it the 1951/52 (4th ed.) or the 1952/53 (5th ed.)? Here are the prices based on the 2010 RED BOOK.

1951/52 (4th ed.) - VG/$55 - F/$110 - VF/$160

1952/53 (5th ed.) - VG/$130 - F/$350 - VF/$600

 

I agree with the other posts, maybe the Scott Travers books could be added to the list.

http://www.amazon.com/Coin-Collecto...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263667680&sr=8-2