what are some good books i can purchase to learn more about u.s. coins, grading coins, and coin values? and where can i find them (the books)?
You will need a A Guide Book Of United States Coins (The Red Book) by R.S Yeoman as a general reference. For grading I like The Official Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection, which is put out by PCGS. You should be able to get them at most coin shops and on Ebay. Look at prices realized at auctions such as Teletrade, Heritage, and Ebay for the most accurate pricing information. Charlie
what's the difference? just the color of the cover? anyways i just got the hard cover 2006 version (red) for $13 (shipping included) is that a good price? i saw a lot for around $20 (shipping included)
$13.00 is an average price for a Red Book. The Red Book is supposed to be the price you will have to pay a dealer for a coin, and the Blue Book is supposed to tell a dealers buy price. The prices listed are usually incorrect, the other information is very helpful though. Charlie
To learn about grading here is my 2 cents.... Read the ANA guide to grading...and not the newest one...the 5th edition....Photograde....and hands on....look at as many coins as you can... I hope to read this book this week...you can read it all online... http://www.coingrading.com/ Speedy
Well....it depends....the book shows how people grade TODAY...today people use Market grading...but many of the people that have learned grading in the past DON'T grade that way...in fact if you buy a coin from some of the older collectors (and even though I'm not a old collector I mostly go by the old grading) you will find that by todays grading...the undergrade. Now I use Market grading...and that is why I say HANDS ON IS THE BEST...now to say something GDJMSP has said in the past (not in the same words but I think he would agree that it is almost the same words!)....I don't like market grading and I wish that people would go to grading ONE way...not that way 1 and way 2....but since I live in a real world and the real world uses Market grading...I'm not going to let it go by...I'm going to learn how to grade that way....grading is a ART....and when it gets to be a job....I think I would quit. Speedy
Hi, The "Red Book" is what the retail value of the coin should be. The "Blue Book" is based upon what a dealer would pay for the same coin. Blue Book numbers are always lower. It is not just a difference in the color of the cover. Have Fun, Bill
Thanks Speedy. Wasn't aware of the grading differences between the new and the old versions. Will have to locate an older version and check out the differences in the grading.
Howdydoo Well let me say this....the new book isn't wrong...it is how dealers and graders grade today...but I and many others think it is silly to say that from one book to another book a coin would go from VG to F...and that is what happened...the grading for a VG in the 5th for a IHC.....in the new one would make it F Speedy
So would it be a safe bet that the slabs that were slabbed after this version came out are graded to this version? Just a thought.
Let me put it this way....we have used Market Grading for a long time...it just wan't writen in book form....now it is....so even coins that were slabbed before this version came out may be slabbed with this "new" "old" grading. Its not new...it just hasn't been talked about much untill this newest guide came out. The key to this is....know how to grade...that will be the best thing that you can hope for! Speedy
I started collecting coins again after a long hiatus. One of the things I wanted to do was put together a short list of books that would help me get into things. After awhile I came down to only "needing" three books. They all provided perspective on grading and authenticating coins: Photograde The ANA Grading Standards for US Coins PCGS Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection These three books provide a collector with all the basic information and nuance with respect to US coins grading and authentication. One can obtain points of view about uncirculated coins, circulated, and diagnostics for rare dates. I would not get the Blue or the Red book. Frankly, with the internet, I believe that a collector or hobbyist can get very good (and timely) information online. Certainly become a member of Heritage Coins. They have great lists of coins values online and updated, as well as recent auction data for slabbed key or semi-key dates. eBay is another place to learn a bit about what's market for coins. You've got to cull through the chaff to find the wheat, but it's all out there. With a little search engine work, one can find all kinds of places with market coin information, grading photos, discussion about varieties, etc. I recommend you start your library with the three key books noted above. Regards Houston_Ray
I agree...I have read the PCGS guide and it is good...so I would call them the key books too BUT I would also suggest that you don't stop there...books about coins are almost like coins...they are great...study them...read them not once but more and more.... Old books and new coin books...they all have bits of info that we all can use! Speedy
One small oooops there Speedy - even the very first edition (and all editions since then) of the ANA Grading Guide was written based on market grading. But many people didn't realize that - many still don't.
True GDJMPS...I had forgotten to make that plain.... I think one reason why people are more hyped up about this new guide is that many of them learned from the older guides and they feel that anything other than what they learned is wrong (and I'm not saying it is right...it shouldn't change) so when they see this big change in the 5th edition....that is what caused it IMO. I do wish we could settle on ONE way to grade coins....it would be much nicer. Speedy
