I've become increasingly attracted to some of the large note US issues and am seriously considering starting to collect them. Can you guys recommend some good book resources for those looking at the hobby?
Well for me I just visited my local coin shop...there were a number of books on most topics. After I started reading I deceided what I wanted to do. The first note I purchased was a 1914 Blue Seal $20 in CU. What I have found is that some books are segregated upon Larger size, small size, golds, silvers.....but who I did find is a former professor of physics Don C, Kelly www.donckelly.com This site is fantastic and had has specified books on most topics. That is where I would start. Good luck and post some pics when you get them... RickieB
I would absolutly reccomend as a good starter "A Guide Book of United States Paper Money" . It is a Whitman "Redbook" of US currency compiled by the Friedbergs. As you may or may not know, US currency is now universally designated by the Friedberg numbering system (such as a $100 FRBN Series 1929 from Kansas City is numbered as F1890-J, or a $1 Silver Certificate Series 1935H is numbered as F1618. In other words a book by the Friedbergs is as good as gold. This book covers both large and small size currency. You cannot afford not to have this book as a basic reference, if you collect US Paper Money. Other books by Oakes and Schwartz contain populations of notes known to exist, along with low and high serial numbers known to exist for rarer notes. I bought on eBay a couple of years ago (for a couple dollars) 2 books by Neil Shafer from 1967 -1968 that list the dates by series that the notes were actually issued, and the block letters by series by start and ending blocks. The Shafer books from the 60`s reference "Donlon Numbers" . William P Donlon had a yearly series of books on Small size currency in the 60`s and early 70`s known as the "Donlon Catalogue of Small Size Currency". The Donlon numbers are now obsolete. The Friedberg numbers are now universally known. These older books contain a wealth of information, and if you can find them for a couple dollars,( and it doesn`t matter that they may reference other obsolete catalogue numbers) I would buy them as I find them, whether on eBay or your local coin show, or your local flea market.
