recommenation

Can anyone recommend a good elementary coin collecting book? Thanks.

 

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I suggest starting at the library.

 

Recommended coin book

If you are collecting US coins, the "bible" if you will is "A Guidebook of US Coins" commonly called the Red Book. It should be available at most larger libraries and, of course, you can buy it at your local coin shop.

If you are collecting World coins, the most comprehensive guide is the Standard Catalog of World Coins by Krause and Mishler. It is published yearly like the Red Book but it is much larger and more expensive. Recommend that unless you need to keep up with the most current releases and prices, it would be best to buy one used. They can be found at most coin shops and coin shows. Some larger libraries have past issues of this catalog that you could look through to see if it is something you want to invest in. They cost about $60 new and $10 to $30 used depending on the year and condition.

 

Redbook is a must first read for everybody. Keep one at your side.

 

As suggested by the others, the "Red Book" is a very valuable resource for the non specialized U.S. coin collector. It is supposed to be a price guide but it's mostly useless in that regard. Coin prices change more often then the once a year release of the book. But it is packed full of information on every coin minted by the United States mint.
You can purchase a red book at most any coin shop or even at most major book stores. If you are unable to locate one or not sure that it is something that you are sure about investing in, drop me an e-mail and I'll send one (an older one but still full of info) your way. No strings attatched, just a "welcome to numismatics" gift.
Jason

 

Like everyone else, The Redbook is essential.
I would add to that list The ANA Grading Guide.
Join the ANA too!
http://www.money.org
They have an extensive library where you can "check out" books and even videos to enhance your knowledge.

Happy Collecting!

 

"Buy the book before the coin" .... Make sure you read it before you buy any coin you see in it though!!!

 

The Red Book will give you more than just values, it will give you major varieties and historical info. Once you find a focus, there are books for almost every series I can think of...it can get a little pricey though! You can try e-bay or half.com for cheap books. Half.com usually has something worth buying, and I've heard of some great deals there!

 

Of course, everyone suggesting the Red Book is dead on, but I have also read good reviews of "Coin Collecting for Dummies". The only negatives I recall were about typos and captioning errors in the first edition, so see if you can get a later edition. I know Amazon.com carries it, and I've seen it at the local Barnes and Nobels.

 

Used to be, you should buy the book before you buy the coin. Now you don't have to. Save your money on coins. But read the Web site before you buy the coin. Then, if you want more, read the book. Best Web sites: http://www.coinsite.com, http://coins.about.com/?once=true&, http://www.pcgs.com/articles/index.chtml, http://www.coinfacts.com, http://www.coin-gallery.com, http://www.coinfacts.com, http://www.coinclub.com, http://www.cointoday.com, http://www.coinworld.com.

 

Coin Collecting for Dummies by Ron Guth. Sounds like a bad book, but filled with info that the redbook does not have.

Cameron Kiefer

 

I've got the Dummies book, and every now and then i throw it in the bathroom. A good read.

B.

 

Re: Recommended coin book

krause publications also have a 'collecting world coins' book. it's smaller (not THAT much smaller, 750 pages that's great for beginners or for those starting on a budget...

 

Good luck at library - I recently went to mine and they had NOTHING! And that was a big city - you may call ahead first if you are looking for something in particular.

Yes, the ANA has a library - I am also hoping to borrow some books from them in near future. They haven't answered my email from last week yet.

Here's one: Coin Collectors Survival Manual - Scott A. Travers

What type of coins are you interested in? There are books about certain types of coins, as well.

Good luck!

 

Another one is the PCGS Guide to Grading and Counterfeit Detection, which is a great read. Lots of photos, and detailed grading descriptions that are very easy to follow. There are photos that show exactly where the high spots are on the coin to aid in detecting wear, which I think is an excellent feature. Helps me tremendously, and wasn't too expensive. I recommend it highly! Also it talks about the most frequently counterfeited coins and how to spot them.

 

It appears a consensus of opinion when it comes to th Red Book add my vote and add Photograde The Official Grading Guide of the ANA. It s easy to use for lower grade coins gets a trifle diffcult for higher grades, but, like everything experience comes form experience.

 

Krause's Standard Catalog of World Coins 1901 - 2000would be the best for a beginner.

 

And you do realize that this thread is actually 11 years old, right?

 

Yep, I thought I would bring it back to life.

 

The Red Books is still #1 after all these years.