Old thread locked grading coins

The Bowers Book and the ANA manual both cover the same ground - you really don't need to buy both of them. I think the Bowers book has better pictures and better descriptions, but the ANA book is considered the "standard" (not that anyone actually follows the standard).

I appreciate your mention of my book. I'll let someone else describe the advantages of my book, so that I don't fall into advertising. There are quite a few members here who have purchased the book, though, so I'm sure someone can give you a recommendation. It isn't so much a grade-by-pictures book as it's a "here's the method to grade and an in-depth description of what to look for and why."

 

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I would buy and study every book on grading you have the time for. You will find Jason's book very helpful.

 

Being an LA (California) Geezer, I use this:

 

^^ Brown & Dunn sounds like either a long-defunct tobacco company — if you're old enough to remember — or a law firm. I guess I'll start here, based on @Kentucky 's ongoing help with my trivia. If I see the need, I'll look at the others, including Jason's, though it might offer more than my addled brain's capacity.

Edit: Used copies @ Amazon were so cheap that I added Jason's book to my order and STILL came out less than $25!

 

Should buy it directly from him and support the community and his talent! Plus, I’m sure he’d sign your copy!

 

Too late, alas, but I suspect that he'll receive his royalty eventually, as I ordered a new one, not used; the Brown must be OOP since all the available copies were VG at best.

 

Folks here like MS coins and they truly have miniscule differences that take a lifetime to master. For coins less than MS newcomers can quickly learn to grade them by using the PHOTOGRADE book. For all grades from AG to AU there is no better guide. The PHOTOGRADE replaced the BROWN & DUNN which featured line drawings and descriptions. I like both and have used both. When my BROWN & DUNN fell apart from use I did not get around to replacing it yet.

 

I'm pretty sure the last edition of B&D was published in the 70's. I have an early edition from the 1950's that I picked up more as a novelty than a useful reference.

As Bissell states, it was replaced by better books.

I would have advised against buying Brown and Dunn in favor of Bower's book, which does the same thing just much, much better. Oh well, too late now - and thanks for buying my book!

 

The hardbound 1970 edition if you can find it, I think the photo quality is better than the later paperback versions.