"Buy the book before you buy the coin." -- Aaron Feldman You need to know which books to read. Asking for advice is a start, but realize that "cognitive dissonance" and social ignorance are pitfalls. People only recommend books they have read specifically because they have read them. Their recommendation to you justifies in their own minds the money and time they spent. When I worked at Coin World, one of the books in our reference library had a handwritten note from editor Bill Gibbs never to cite this book because it was unreliable -- even though we published it. Therefore, you need to know which books to read, and the first resource you need is The Numismatic Bibliomania Society. Their website, www.coinbooks.com will take you to the E-Sylum maillist archives. Books by Q. David Bowers always come recommnded. If you want great narratives, you might enjoy The Numismatist's bedside companion (1987) The Numismatist's fireside companion (1988) The Numismatist's weekend companion (1992). Dave Bowers has been called "the Dean of American numismatics" because he has written, co-authored or published over 100 books. Dave Bowers currently is working with Whitman Books on their stellar series of outstanding new references that are at once lavish and affordable. Goto Whitman Books click on the link to Whitman Books at the left and find the numismatic references. Among those with the strongest narratives -- all nod to pricing; it is what "most people" seem to want -- are these: 100 Greatest U.S. Coins - 3rd Edition $29.95 100 Greatest American Medals and Tokens $29.95 History of the United States Mint and Its Coinage $19.95 Encyclopedia of U.S. Gold Coins 1795-1933 - 2nd Edition $69.95 Whitman just sold out of Bowers' new book Colonial and Early American Coins. That book supplanted the previous standard, Sylvester S. Crosby's Early Coins of America (1876), reprinted last by Quarterman. Those classic books are the stock in trade of John Burns, Fred Lake and Pete Smith, among a few other numismatic book dealers who bring their wares to conventions. They also have on-going auctions and catalogue sales. The Red Book is not a "must." However, it is ironic that for all the people who own Red Books very few have the attention to detail to notice the Bibliographies of sources in the important headings, such as Gold Dollars, Silver Dollars and Territorial Gold. Under Silver Dollars, you will find The Fantastic 1804 Dollar by Newman and Bressett. Eric P. Newman was president of the American Numismatic Society. Kenneth L. Bressett was president of the American Numismatic Association. You will find no more authoritative and readable narrative about the history of the object that many American collectors consider "The King of Coins." The best way to read a lot of books cheap is to join the ANA (www.money.org). ANA members can borrow books from the ANA Library for only the cost of shipping and insurance both ways. Right now I have materials on The Wizard of Oz (no kidding: some consider it a numismatic parable). Without the ANA Library, the articles I wrote on The Peace Dollar and Proof Double Eagles would have been impossible.
Mike: nice recap, but you forgot this one: http://www.whitmanbooks.com/Default.aspx?Page=55&HTMLName=ReviewUpcoming_1208 LOL.
The coins that might have been Patterns are the coins that never were. In truth, some patterns did become circulating issues, as the money in your pocket has a long gestation. Online, of course, is the outstanding work www.uspatterns.com. Three books compete for the bibliophile's attention The Official Red Book United States Pattern Coins (10th Edition) by J. Hewitt Judd, MD, edited by Q. David Bowers. For over 40 years, Dr. Judd's work on patterns was the standard work. This is a continuation and update. J. Hewitt Judd first published an article about patterns in 1940. The book United States Pattern, Experimental and Trial Pieces appeared in 1959. The publisher was Whitman, then in Racine, Wisconsin. Successive editions folloed: 2nd ed. (1962); 3rd ed. (1965); 4th ed. (1970);5th ed. (1974); 6th ed. (1977). Walter Breen and Abe Kosoff joined in that earler effort. Before Judd, the standard work was "Adams and Woodin" United States Pattern, Trial, and Experimental Pieces...Issued by the United States Mint from 1792 up to the present time by Edgar H. Adams and William H. Woodin (1913). (William H. Woodin later served as Secretary of the Treasury under Franklin D. Roosevelt, likely the reason why items of numismatic interest were exempted from Executive Order 6102.) This book was reprinted in 1959 by Numismatique of Dayton, Ohio. United States Pattern and Related Issues by Andrew W. Pollock III was published by Bowers and Merena in 1994. It stood to be the new reference and still stands as an excellent resource, better in many ways than its competitors. Certainly the large format (510 pages 9x12 inches approx) gives the printer room to display the images. (Someone who knows the history can correct this, but as I recall Bowers and Merena sold out to Collectors Universe in 1999. In 2000, they fired Dave Bowers who then formed his own new firm. The point is that while publishing was important to the old firm, the new owners found less profit in it. In truth, rumor was always strong that QDB subsidized the press via the auctions. His own books, of course, were a product. However, fine books like Pollock's also graced the shelves of empassioned collectors as a result of QDB's generous support for books.)
CU acquired Bowers and Merena in 2000, Bowers was not fired until 2003. At that time they mover B&M to texas and most of the numismatic staff of Bowers & Merena left the firm and formed ANR. (The only major numismatic name that made the move to texas was Mark Borckart, and when B&M was sold to Gregg Manning in 2004 and moved to CA Borckart quit, stayed in Texas and moved to Heritage.) Bowers didn't join ANR until 2004. (He had a one year no competition clause in his contract.) Then in 2006 ANR merged with Stacks. This year all of the Stacks family members left the firm. Net result the 2003 B&M management, less Mark Borckart, is now Stack's. B&M believed in publishing, ANR believed i selling books, Stack's has published some books in the past but does not have the history of the other two firms. The question is whether this will change in the future.
