Are there any interesting reads out there on how coin collecting in America started? I'd like to know what it was like back then whether it be a hundred years ago, two hundred, whatever.
Don't know of any on the web right off, but there are books on the subject. Q. David Bowers has written a couple if memory serves. Coin collecting first started to gain some popularity in the US around 1850. Prior to that there was but a handful of collectors in the US.
The only book that comes to mind is "The Eagle that was forgotten" which was about one of the very early collectors. Other than that there are anedotal stories in many books about Mickley and others in the 1860's. For close to the turn of the century you might try "Virgil Brand, the Man and his Era". The twentieth century is much better documented, a couple of good books would be "Abe Kosoff remembers", "Abe Kosoff: Dean of Numismatics", and "The Walter P Nichols File"
A few years ago, Q. David Bowers authored a book about US coins as illustrated by the Garrett collection. It is a large thick book and goes into the history of the US scene from the 1840's forward. It is a fascinating account. Perhaps googling the above info would lead you to a copy. THe Garrett collection was sold in a series of sales in the 1980's I think.
