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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;kaparthy, post: 97209, member: 57463&quot;]<b>Knowledge is a Tree</b></p><p><br /></p><p>That old copy of Overton is fine for a &quot;bibliomaniac&quot; one of the numismatists who collects literature about the hobby.&nbsp; However, that book was superseded by later editions from Overton and, now, the new standard is Peterson.&nbsp;&nbsp; This review is already five years old -- and a reference to it appeared three years ago, here&nbsp; on Coin Talk. </p><p><br /></p><p>This is from Rec.Collecting.Coins</p><p>1. Michael Edward Marotta </p><p>Newsgroups: rec.collecting.coins </p><p>Date: Mon, 01 Jan 2001 01:46:21 GMT </p><p>Local: Sun, Dec 31 2000 8:46 pm&nbsp; </p><p>Subject: Book review: Peterson&#039;s Bust Halves </p><p><br /></p><p>Book Review -- THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO ATTRIBUTING BUST HALF DOLLARS </p><p>by Glenn R. Peterson, MD. (2000. Money Tree, Rocky River, Ohio) </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>This book belongs on the shelf of every collector of American coins. Brad Karoleff&#039;s &quot;Introduction&quot; alone, explaining the history of the coin is worth the cover price. Since modern collecting leans heavily to errors and varieties, any collector of any series can benefit from the scientific methodology for identifying die marriages. Dr. Peterson&#039;s work sets the standard for the coming century. </p><p><br /></p><p>These large silver coins were the mainstay of America&#039;s trade and commerce in the early 1800s. So many are affordable in high grade because banks used them for their hard money reserves and they were stored in bags in vaults. </p><p><br /></p><p>In the early 1800s, only the major devices on a coin -- Miss Liberty and the Eagle -- were &quot;hubbed&quot; from master dies. Then every letter, numeral and star was placed individually and punched by hand.&nbsp; As a result varieties and errors </p><p>abound. </p><p><br /></p><p>If you have a Red Book, then you know the previous standard references on Bust Halves cited there: M. L. Beistle (1929) and Overton (1967, 1980).&nbsp; However, most of the varieties in those books are described in words. Attributing a Bust Half could take an hour. The new book by Glenn Peterson has over 700 high-quality photographs most of them enlargements. Other illustrations are skillful engineering drawings. As a result, you can sit down with a tray of Bust Halves and identify a variety in a matter of minutes. Peterson follows the Overton catalog in his numbering. </p><p><br /></p><p>THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO ATTRIBUTING BUST HALVES provides a year-by-year catalog. Each chapter begins with an overview of American history for that year. Also, each chapter begins with a large, professional engineering drawing of the coin with its areas of interest called out. </p><p><br /></p><p>The book cost about $100 -- $99.95 plus shipping and handling for hardcover and $89.95 for spiral bound. The price may seem high.&nbsp; However, there is no better book about Bust Halves.&nbsp; Even if you are not an active collector of Bust Halves by variety, this book is unsurpassed as example of how to scientifically investigate any coin&#039;s production. My primary interest in numismatics is Ancient Greek. This book about Bust Halves has already paid for itself by teaching me how to look at any coin&#039;s details. </p><p><br /></p><p>The book is available from </p><p>The Money Tree </p><p>1260 Smith Court, </p><p>Rocky River, Ohio 44116 </p><p>phone (440) 333-3444 </p><p>fax (440) 333-4463 </p><p>--------------------------------[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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