Book Value vs Current Value

That's not an uncommon problem, and the same problem exists with US coins from the same time period. Back then most collectors would get out a rag or a jeweler's cloth and polish up their coins on a regular basis. It was the accepted thing to do. And it didn't begin changing in the US until the 1960's. It still is a commonly accepted thing to do among many collectors in Europe.

So if you want to find nice examples two things are necessary. 1 - patience, when you want a particular coin you have to be willing to wait until a nice one comes along, or send dealers looking for it for you. 2 - when you find one, you have to be willing to pony up the cash to buy it. Of course the patience helps there, for it provides time to save up your money when you are on a limited budget.

Knowledge and patience - the two most valuable things there are in this hobby