Coins Books

I picked up A Guide Book of Lincoln Cents by Q. David Bowers last weekend and thought I would post a review of what I thought of it.

It starts off with a nice forward by Charles D. Daughtrey and moves into some very interesting sections. There is of course the history of the Lincoln Cent both wheat and memorial reverse. Then it moves into the minting process. After that it goes into the proofs and how they were made from 1909 to date.

The proof section I found very informative and interesting, after that it goes into grading Lincoln Cents, Mr. Bowers is very honest when it comes to third party grading services and provides some background on when they started.

It then moves into how to be a smart buyer, ways to collect, then finally analysis and market guide to Lincoln Cents. For each year he describes how the dies were that year, what was going on in the world of numismatics, some nice notes, striking and sharpness population reports for MS wheat coins and PF for memorials. There is also a price guide that is pretty close.

What I found interesting was how he took quotes, articles, and other things of interest from some other very popular Lincoln experts. He tried to offer both sides of the fence views and some issues. Take the 22 no "D", there is an quote from Chuck that explains how it is nothing more than a worn out die.

The book has nice color pictures for each year (I think they need to be a little larger)

Things I would change about the book would be- Larger pictures for the grading section, population reports for key dates that go before MS-65 and population reports for MS memorial cents and PF wheat cents.

All in all I would give this book a 9 on a scale of 1-10 and would recommend it to any Lincoln collector.

Coin collectors who are gathering Lincoln cents have lots to work with and understand: it's the country's longest-running coin series. This official guide covers its history, rarity, values, grading and many varieties as the coin nears its 100th anniversary and most importantly, discusses some of the greatest challenges to coin collecting. Tips on buying, selling, and grading a Lincoln cents collection makes for a fine market analysis for all dates and mintmarks, and even includes an appendix on error coins. Any library strong in coin collecting at any level must have this reference.

If you want to start a "type collection" of US coins, this is the place to start. This book gives you the information that you need to get started. It also give you the price information that you need to make informed buying decisions. The history and other information will be extremely usefull to collectors that are new to this hobby. If you are a more experienced collector, the detailed numerical information will be a be help in improving your collection.

US Type sets are a great way to learn about the history of the United States through its coins. This book is a great resource for learning how to compile said type set. The first ~50 pages are spent on a history of the US through its coins, history on the most famous set of all time (Eliasberg), some practical notes on grading (though if you really want a detailed resource on how to grade coins, you should look elsewhere), and then several pages on what to consider when assembling a US type set - such as by metal, everything but gold, just gold, how many varieties to include, etc.

The bulk of the rest of the book is devoted to describing almost all types of US Coins that have been minted since 1792 (including the 1792 pattern half disme). Before each major type (such as half cents, large cents, small cents, etc.), a few pages are spent with an overview of the series, tips on collecting a type set with those coins, and then information on going "beyond a type set," in other words, what issues you may encounter if you want to assemble a set of all the coins in that series by date and mintmark.

Then, almost all types are subsequently descirbed with full-color pictures, mintage information (e.g. 158.1 billion Lincoln memorial reverse bronze coins were struck), basic information, a "key to collecting," and "aspects of striking and appearance." It also has suggested grades to shoot for based upon three budget tiers. It then has tables of approximate market value at time of print (2004) by grade, certified population reports and approximate field population, and then market price performance for the last 60 years in decade intervals, which show how the value at (usually) 3 grades has changed (making you wish you bought back in 1950).

Overall, if you want a general resource/guide to collecting type coins from 1792-2004 (I assume an update will be published within the next few years to account for the remaining Statehood Quarters, Jefferson 2005 reverse and obverse and the 2006 Jefferson obverse, and the new Presidential Dollar Series), this should be on your shelf. If you are an experienced numismatist, you may find much of it elementary, but still worth buying for the history section in the beginning and the relatively comprehensive data for each type.

For collectors of ancient coins, especially those of Biblical or Judaean coins, this work is essential. Now in its 3rd ed., Hendin has re-cataloged and listed coins that were in use from the time of Alexander The Great, through the first and second revolts, and to the city-statesunder Rome. The coins are not only described ingreat detail, but their HISTORY is clearly laid out so that it comes to life. Reading about them,even if one can't collect them, takes you back tothe time of ancient Greece and Rome. Biblical stories are set in context and become all the morereal.

I have been a collector of biblical coins for more than a decade, and Hendin's writings have been a tremendous help. I enjoy his insights, stories, and overall knowledge. The illustrations of the coins are wonderful, and the pictures in the back of the book are of top quality. I believe Hendin is the foremost expert in the world today when it comes to the coins of the Bible. Of course, these books are a bit pricy. I own the 1st and 3rd editions, but I've held off on the 4th just because I think I'll keep the pattern going and wait for the 5th ed. (2004 perhaps???). But if you own nothing, this edition is better than none. I highly recommend it, either as a resource manual or a book to read from cover to cover.

This is the 20th Century gold collector's bible! I found that as I started collecting I was referring to this book hourly, to the point that I had it memorized within a year. The depth of Akers knowledge and hands on experience with just about every great coin from this era offers a perspective that is unique in every aspect. He's seen them all, sold half of them for the owners, bought another half for buyers and owns 2% of them! He refers to the greatest of the great with remarkable detail and rates each date by appearance, color nuances, strike and then goes into a detailed history of ownership of the best examples known. His rating scale of rarity is dated but at the time reflects the scarcity of every date; however numerous hoardes have appeared over the last 30 years which has changed these numbers. But considering that there was NO TPG grading, NO pop reports...Akers accuracy is almost psychic. It's simply put, his collective knowledge from a lifetime of experience, and as one who knows him he's a marvel with what his knowledge is today, 30 years later! He's the Rosetta Stone of 20th Century gold...and other series'. I could never have entered this exciting arena without Akers "guide". It's "the book"!!

David Akers is the ultimate authority on this subject. His extensive knowledge and research are evident in this comprehensive encyclopedia of US Gold coins.

Hawaiian Money is an encyclopedia of information on Hawaiian coins and tokens. It contains information valuable to anyone, begginer to coin dealer. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in tokens, scrip, medals or coins of Hawaii.

Auction houses, advanced and beginner collectors, dealers of coins, tokens and currency, all use this book to guide them in their collecting, pricing, and cataloging of Hawaiian money.

Just like the Whitman coin folders from when I was a child, good quality, fair price. Excellent option to hold a modest collection in the building stage, until you're ready to move your collection to a better quality folder such as Dansco.

My version of this coin book for nickels (circa 1968) was so badly worn that I couldn't open it without the coins falling out. This makes a great gift for your children. Have them look through the coins in their piggy banks and keep the best. Then take the rest to the bank and ask to exchange them for new rolls of coins. (Be sure to ask the bank for some paper coin wrappers for your next trip back.) It is exciting for the kids to get a new roll to go through each week.

My son (7) loved collecting the state quarters so now we're expanding into collecting other coins. This Penny folder was the perfect next step! He also got Dime and Nickel books from his uncle and he and his father sit around with his piggy bank going through the change to fill these books up! And they are so inexpensive, we will be getting more.

holds the coins in nice and snug. kids love this. best advise get a magnifying glass to read the coinsand mint marks

Over the past two years I have purchased about ten Lincoln Penny folders. To fill them we save pennys and sometimes at the bank I will buy rolls of pennys for fifty cents each. My grandchildren and I spend hours searching these coins for the correct dates. They learn to identify numbers, mint marks, and I read to them about President Abraham Lincoln, who is featured on the Lincoln penny. These coin books are gifts that are never thrown away. Sometimes I wonder just how much a Wheat Penny book would be worth if my Grandparents had filled one in for me....

I've practically collected coins since I was born. Since pennies don't have much purchasing power anymore (you can't even get a piece of gum for a penny!) and are numerous this is probably the best one to start with.

This one isn't as easy as it looks to complete. You have to find several varities of pennies made in 1982. Also, the "S" mintmark coins from 1968-1974 are a challenge. And the pennies from the early Lincoln Memorial days--the 1959 and early 1960s--aren't as numerous as they used to be. Nevertheless, this will provide one with a nice challenge that will eventually grow to encompass nickels and other denominations.

I was a little reluctant about buying the book because my son reads at a 3rd grade level but he loves that book. The reading I think is at a level for a kindergardener but the illustrations use of colors and ]the gold coin will make even an 8 year old happy. He loves the coin and loves putting it in the sharks mouth.

My 3 year old can't get enough of this book. It's interactive and a great story. He wants to keep the coin with him when he goes to bed each night!

The reason why we use the phrases "magic trick" and "card trick" is because we know that there is no such thing as magic. The magician is executing a very specific algorithm that leads from the starting point to the desired conclusion. In this book, Gardner explains some of the algorithms in areas such as card tricks, mental magic and other common feats of legerdemain.
The titles of the chapters are:

*) Tricks with cards part I
*) Tricks with cards part II
*) From Gergonne to Gargantua - more tricks with cards
*) Magic with common objects - the objects are items such as dice and dominoes
*) Topological tomfoolery - tricks with items such as ropes, handkerchiefs and vests
*) Tricks with special equipment
*) Geometrical vanishes part I
*) Geometrical vanishes part II
*) Magic with pure numbers - rapid computation or number guessing tricks

Some people don't want to know how things are done because it spoils the fun for them. Since Gardner explains all of the tricks in complete detail, if you read this book then you will know how to do them yourself. Therefore, you should only pick it up if you can handle the knowledge of how these tricks are performed.

This book is very nice. It teaches you how to do magic with any houshold items. There are 2 chapters with cards too. NONE of the tricks described here use any sort of slight of hand. It is 100% mathematical tricks than ANYONE can do. And they are all nice cloe-up tricks which are the type of tricks which are most baffling. Martin Garder, the author of this book is a very talented writer. He wrote many books on mathematics and science. This is a great book and I recomend EVERYONE should get it even if they are not into magic that much.