Which series are you interested in? Each series has its best reference. Here are the ones I recommend: 1) Early Cents (1793-1814) - Noyes 2) Middle Dates (1816-1839) - Wright and/or Noyes 3) Late Dates (1840-1856) - Grellman The Newcomb work GDJMSP mentions is great, as is Sheldon's original text, but both are a bit dated and are surpassed as attribution guides by the above...Mike
I have to differ from GDJMSP and say forget about Newcomb. Yes you CAN use t for the middle dates, but the pictures are too smal and not clear. Trying to use it on the late dates is practically impossible, an exercise in frustration. And a lot of the late date varieties he listed have since been de-listed. It's kind of a neat book to look at, but if you have one of the other standard references that is all you will do, look at it once or twice then put it down and never open it again. I know I haven't looked in mine since the early 1980's. but I refer to my copies of Wright and Grellman constantly. And I refer to my copies of the 1986 Robbie Brown and 1989 Jack Robinson sale catalogs even more often My minimum recommendations would be Either the Breen or Noyes book for the early dates. Breen is cheaper but it has a few photo errors. Also it is out of print and becoming harder to find. (about $85 - $100) Noyes is more expensive, only available from one source, and if you want to buy it you HAVE to buy the Noyes middle date book as well. The early date book is not sold seperately. Cost $240. Either Noyes or Wright for the middle dates. Either one is excellent If you didn't buy Noyes for the Early dates then go with Wright because once again if you want the Noyes middle date you have to buy both. (You used to be able to by the middle date book seperately but the supply of extra coppies must have dried up.) Cost for Noyes $240 Wright $105 - $125. For late dates it has to be Grellman about $100. I would also recommend either the 1986 Robbie Brown catalog or the 1989 Jack Robinson sale. You really should have one or the other. Personally I like the Brown sale better, but the Robinson sale has extra examples of some of the togh varieties and seeing multiple examples helps. It also includes a nearly complete set of half cents by die variety as well. Cost $20 to $30.
