Coins Books

This publication has and is always the most up-to-date and accurate representation of present wholesale value of rare and common US coins. Very useful in anticipating future values.

While useful and informative and, indeed, a must if you buy coins, this book is quite outdated. Since the price of gold and silver have gone up considerably and change daily, the effect on coins is intense in many cases.

There are several sites online where you can get more up-to-date information. Yet having this handy is a good idea. I like having something near my work area and in my hands so I can quickly look up the information I want. Then I can follow that up by going to one of the Web sites.

-Susanna K. Hutcheson

This handbook (The Blue Book)provides a good target price representing dealer's cost for all the US Coins listed in the corresponding retail value Red Book. Invaluable reference tool for quick evaluation of a seller's coin price markups for the casual collector who doesn't need up to the minute price changes. Use it with the Red Book to establish a range for buying and selling.

The Bluebook is an invaluable reference when you are selling coins (along with the Redbook when buying) since it tracks what coin dealers pay for coins. You need to keep in mind that in a "hot" market prices change rapidly which can make the Bluebook "dated" fairly quickly. In any case it does provide a baseline indicating what others have received for coins in specific grades over the past several months giving some indication of what you should receive from a coin dealer.

If you are interested in what you can expect to pay for a coin you want to buy then use the Redbook which tracks the amount dealers charge for coins in specific grades.

The difference between the Redbook and Bluebook indicates the monies retained by dealers for the value they add to collector's trades. So, if you are trading collector-to-collector with no dealer involved, the two references can serve as the high and low bar for the negotiation process.

This book is nice to use when you are wanting to sell one of your coins. It would be a better book if it would come in spiral bound so that it is easier to use.

This Was a very good book which should have been writen before the Vietnam War. Ir was needed badley.

If you are looking for a book to serve as a foundation of knowledge on counterinsurgency warfare, this is it. It provides what is essentially an executive summary of two major types of insurgencies. The author is very knowledgeable and "down-to-earth." I have spent two years in Iraq and wish that I had read this book prior to 2003. I have recommended it to all of my friends and peers who have involvement with Soldiers, NCOs, Officers, or cadets.

A classic.
I sent mine to Iraq. I wish all the Marines would read it.
And better yet, all the commanders.

This book should be on the required reading for any of the military that are in/going to Iraq and Afghanistan. Page 4 states the obvous, that only took us four years in Iraq to learn...the objective (center of gravity) is the population. The new counterinsugency manual borrows heavily from this book. Since "irregular warfare" is the new buzz in the military, the rank and file should read this to understand that you can not kill your way to victory and the indirect approach is the way to go. Quiet professionals have been saying this all along...

I will not repeat the good things said in previous reviews on this work, as they cover it well, and the credentials of the previous reviewers in several instances should also speak for themselves.

Galula's book is a very good effort for trying to look at the lessons of counterinsurgency objectively. In reading reviews and other materials on the book, as well as talking to people about it, I fear, however, that Galula's work is often taken out of its historical context, which is dangerous. Galula's essay, like Roger Trinquier's "Modern Warfare," need to be seen in the context of the French guerre revolutionnaire, developed first in Indochina between 1945-1954 (French defense journals at the time are replete with the writings of officers developing the school of guerre revolutionnaire), and carried over to Algeria between 1954-1962. The guerre revolutionnaire school argued that counterinsurgents needed to not just understand the insurgents, but fight a counterinsurgency using the tactics and strategy of insurgency. The intellectual starting point was Mao. The guerre revolutionnaire school and its intellectual heritage in the French Army goes a long way toward explaining many of the excesses and brutal tactics used in Algeria. The four generals who tried to overthrow de Gaulle in April 1961 were some of the guerre revolutionnaire's most vocal disciples.

Thus, while Galula's book is invaluable, I fear it being taken out of context of the guerre revolutionnaire school of thought in the French army during the 1950s. There is unfortunately very little on it in English as well, which is part of the problem. For anyone wishing to use Galula's precepts in counterinsurgency or to understand the nature of counterinsurgency, please make sure you learn more about the French military in Indochina and Algeria and the context from which Galula formed his ideas of counterinsurgency.

It is exactly the one I want! It holds coins tightly and also provides useful information about the presidents in the United States' history. For those who don't care about collecting P and D together, it is a good choice--one hole per dollar. The nice thing is that it also has extra spaces to hold new dollars that not in plan to create yet. I put some old dollars there.:)

We selected the product to have project to share as a family. Works perfect! Very well designed and educational

This folder is much nicer than the state quarter folder that I have. Good, short descriptions about each president.

This was a Christmas President for my husband who started collecting the President Dollars. He was very pleased with the product.

Presidential Dollars Collectors Folder Colorful, was a little dissappointed that not all the Presidents were listed, and there wasn't enough room for future Presidents.

This is the best book on medal collecting out there. Period. Combining detailed, color pictures, specific award criteria and a comprehensive thoroughness it easily outdistances any other medal collectors guide in *any* field (Third Reich, British, American, Imperial German (would that there was one even half as good as this)). Only Previtera's "The Iron Time" can match it in quality and "The Iron Time" is limited to investigating one award (The Prussian Iron Cross) so it has a very narrow focus despite it being a five star book in it's own right. Schmitt & McDaniel's book has set a very high bar that any "comprehensive" medal collector's book issued in the future will have a struggle to match. Not only that the publication of this book helps legitamize the collecting of the "evil empire's" awards unlike any other publication from the past. Well worth it's price.

If you have any interest in collecting Soviet orders and medals, this is the only book you'll need. Every other reference on this subject I've read isn't even close to this one in detail, information, history and variants. From the earliest days of the revolution to the fall of the USSR, this book has detailed info for them all.

My only complaint is that it's a bit outdated when describing known fakes. For example, for the Order of Nevsky (probably the one medal who's value is increasing the fastest) the author lists no known fakes of sufficient quality to consider. That may have been true then, but not today. I've seen fake Nevsky's that are completely indistinguishable from the real thing, even when compared side-by-side. If it's worth enough money, someone will fake it.

An excellent reference guide, but NOT comprehensive. The pictures are beautiful, detailed, in colour and comes in plenty - this is necessary for the serious collector. Their grading system (both concerning rarity and different variations) is usefull but NOT comprehensive. If you have travelled in Eastern Europe as a collector, you know much more about rarity and variations than they do. Furthermore, their variation-system is only really usefull if your counterpart has read the book. Say, does The Order of the Red Banner Variation 3, Type 2 means anything to you? Their rarity-system may be helpfull as a guideline - not as a fact. I'm not saying their information is incorrect, it's just that there is a difference between living in Europe and in the US. It's probably a matter of distance and therefore price and rarity. What is really good about this book is the information about the fakes. It's very usefull (and unfortunately VERY brief) but of course outdated the moment you get it. But again, use it as a guide - don't trust everything you read. Remember that your common sense is your most important tool. Conclusion: You will not find a lot of books on this subject in english so I recommend you buy it, while it's still in stock. At present it's the best buy on the market. If you consider buying it, remember to check their Newsletter with the latest updates (and it's allways about 2-3 months delayed) at Historicalresearch.com

Being a relative newcomer to collecting Soviet Militaria, but collecting German Militaria for years, I found the book to be the best all around book on medals that I have ever read. This book details in very clear color photographs the intricacies of the medals of the Soviet Union. I would recommend this book strongly for anyone who is interested in Soviet Militaria or even Militaria in general as it is an excellent resource book.

The Comprehensive Guide to Soviet Orders and Medals is the bestbook on the market so far, and if you are a collector in this field, I strongly recommend you buy it. It's good - very good actually - but it's not comprehensive. McDaniel and Schmitt try to list all known different types and variations, and this is of course, almost impossible. But it's a start. And it's needed. Furthermore they illustrate their descriptions with very detailed pictures - that's excellent! The only problem with this kind of book is lack of information, but I'm sure they are working on it. Especially their information on fakes needs an update. In all case this is a book to buy...

This book is very well for inform on bills in a world! Pictures, year, price...Very complete!

I use this book only, I don't know better source for basic informations for collectors.

It was a pleasure for me to order from you. The catalog is great and I got it delivered in no time. The service was GREAT!!!

An excellent catalogue. The only disturbing problem is that there are several mismatchs between pictures and descriptions. Unfortunately more frequent than in earlier issues.

The new edition of this catalogue is an extremely disappointing effort in terms of keeping up to date with price developments. A majority of the countries covered in this update have not been reviewed at all, resulting in a very misleading guide to collectors. If you have the previous edition, there is little incentive for you to buy this new edition. Editors should really put much much more effort in updating prices, or simply stop printing updates of the catalogue altogether. Changing the cover picture does not justify a new edition.

Klawans has written what really is a tale of two books and *both* of them are great. An Outline of Greek Coins begins with the telling of how coins were made. Klawans includes more than Greek coins. Lydian and Judean coins are also mentioned. Can't find Persian coins? Have a look for Darius and Daric.

Reading and Dating Roman Imperial coins begins with coinage before the empire. Most helpful in this part of the book are the explanations for abbreviations found on Roman coins. Take as an example IMP CAES DOMIT AUG GERM COSXIII CENSPER PP. This means: Imperator, Caesar, his name Domitian, Augustus, Germanicus, the 13th year of his consulship, the chief magistrate of the Roman State or Censor Perpetus, and father of his country Pater Patriae.

Klawans is an indispensable handbook, and the first book I reach for when I want to know something about ancient coinage.

I was very pleased with this book. It is basically a beginners guide to Greek and Roman coin collecting. It tells the step by step history of coins, which is extremely useful to the beginner. I was able to identify many of my coins just by the history lesson of coin casting. It even helps you read the writing on the coins. Many, many photoes and drawings. I think a more seasoned coin collector may not find to useful, but for the beginner it is gold. You can get it for $10 or so used. Why wouldn't you buy it?

This is a great book! If you are going to start collecting Greek and Roman coins, you should buy this book. It tells you all about how to read the coins and what type and variety of coins were made. No instruction on grading or coin values are given, but still a must book for the beginner.

I read only the part of this book dedicated to Greek coins (my area of interest) and learned much. There are many (black & white) pictures of coins as well as text dedicated to the inscriptions and people/gods found on the coins. However, the amount of information contained barely scratches the surface of the subject matter. I would buy the book again, but will continue to look for another title with more in-depth information.

This well illustrated book is quick and easy to read and provides some basic information to for those intending to collect ancient Greek and Roman coins. It will help you recognize many common coins. It will allow you to interpret the inscriptions and in many cases the imagery on these coins. It is inexpensive.

Some things will not be found in it, however. Republican Roman coins (a fascinating area) are strangely not covered at all. There is no information regarding assessing the quality of coins, cleaning them, recognizing fakes, determining price or caring for your collection. For this type of information you should look at Wayne Sayles' more extensive series. For coin valuation David Sear is invaluable. This book is a cheap and simple way to form an impression about ancient Greek and Roman coin collecting. Eventually, recognizing that the price of almost any coin described in the book is far greater than that of the book itself, serious collectors will want to invest in more extensive reference sources. One must start somewhere however, and this is a good place to do so.

This book has a ton of useful information about coin grading and collecting in general. The grading pictures, however, are not terrific. But it still is a good and worthwhile book. The photos displaying conterfeit coins are close to useless but the book is still a pretty valuable addition for an amateur collector.

I found this book hard to put down. Very Good....

The 2nd Edition of "PCGS Coin Grading" is an excellent reference. It is critical and required reading for beginning and advanced coin collectors. As I am the author of 7 coin books since 1977, I appreciate the difficulty of attempting to explain the subtle and challenging differences between "a few minor marks in the main focal area" (MS65 grading standards, page 28) and "a few minor marks or one or two significant marks with hairlines" (MS64 grading standards, same page). As a complete reference to the condition (grade) of all U.S. coins, this book does an excellent job. However, as noted on page 7, with reference to the 11 grades of Mint State coins (MS60 to MS70): "It would be desirable to have more space for them on the grading spectrum to reflect their degrees of difference more precisely." This is why I am now writing a new book about Precision Coin Grading that will supplement the PCGS Coin Grading guide by explaining how to determine the "decimal point grade" of your coins. (MS64.5, MS65.8, MS66.3, etc.) In today's market, there can often be a price difference of hundreds or even thousands of dollars between a "just made it MS65" and a "just missed MS66." (MS65.1 vs. MS65.9.) Whether you are buying or selling coins for personal enjoyment or investment, collectors need to know whether they should consider upgrading a coin of "the same grade" (like snowflakes, no two MS65 coins are absolutely identical.) You also need to know if you have a "high end" or "PQ" (premium quality) specimen of a numerically grade coin, from Carson City Silver Dollars to U.S. Commems to St. Gaudens Double Eagles. Rare coin expert Jim Halperin has also attempted to address this issue. I've known both Jim and David Hall since the 1970's. Both are brilliant numismatists who have made valuable contributions to the hobby. Coin grading will always be an art as well as a science, and the 5 critical grading factors (surface, strike, color, marks and eye appeal) may never be determined by a computer, as my good friend Jim suggests. In the meanwhile, the more you know, and the more you learn, the better. As a tool to educate collectors about coin grading, The PCGS Coin Grading guide should really have better photos. Fortunately, many such photos are available on the websites of both PCGS and Heritage. If you don't own this great coin book, and you plan to spend more than $100 on coin collecting in your lifetime, buy this book immediately!

This book is pretty good except that it is in desparate need of more pictures. It completely leaves out the Morgan Dollar, probably the most widely collected of all US coins. Also, it is a 2004 Edition, so the prices are not up to date. It is better when combined with another source book like the 2006 Official Black Book.

You know what they say: "buy the book before you buy the coin." I bought a few dollars on ebay before I got this book. After reading the book and testing my grading skills for a bit, I know that I overbid for what was offered.

No big loss, but you don't have to make the same mistake. Learn the rudiments of grading first, then (if you so desire) bid on raw coins.

Actually the title says it all. While somewhat out of date (it's been 3 years since this was published) it is the most comprehensive guide to casino chips at this time. I wouldn't bid on a chip without first looking it up in this guide.

Was shipped fast and the chip guide is finely detailed, many color photos and very inclusive. A MUST have for a serious chip collector.

This is the best casino chip price guide currently available. It is incomplete in that it does not include any of the Silver Strikes or metal slot token issues.

The price guide is a paperback, not a hardcover as listed in the title.

This book was created with the chip collector in mind. It has great color pictures of many chips and explains the values very well.No chip is left behind in this complete softcover compact book. This 3rd edition is a must have for any chip collector.

If you collect casino chips, or are just interested in the history of casinos and casino chips, then this book is a must. Every conceivable chip from just about every casino that ever existed is displayed. Chips are all listed with an estimated value which is very useful, especially for the casual collector like myself. There is a thorough discussion of chip characteristics and grading criteria. The research that went into this book is phenomenal. Mr. Campiglia has painstakingly documented sales, scarcity and the history of each and every chip. The book is well laid out with color photos of each chip and many photos of the casinos they came from. There are also many interesting factoids and anecdotes pertaining to the history of casinos in America. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and refer to it often as I build my collection. I give this book my highest recommendation.

I borrowed this book and the other two in collection from library first to see if I wanted to purchase. I do not. The variety (you need all 3 books) and photos were wonderful. But NO DATES. You have absolutely no idea when any of these tins were made. I personally want some idea even if rounded out to decade or two. If this is not as important to you as it is me than great book.

Very informative for identification of tins and their values. Would highly recommend this book to all. Great color and photography. Quite evident that a lot of foresight and hard work went into making this book what it is, the leader in the field of tins. A must for all collectors.

Great book for the tin collector. Nice pictures, acurate values, collecting tips, grading scale. Highly recommend!!! Cover of this book is different than what is showing here.

Great photography. Let's the collector have a source at his hand that helps identify, grade and value their tin. Would highly recommend to all collector's of tins as a great resource. The author's love of the hobby shines through with with this book.

A book that every collector should have on hand. Helps identify, grade and value your tin. Great wish book. Would highly recommend to all.

5 STARS -- If you are familiar with Chester L. Krause publications Standard Catalogue Of World Coins Series, those books share its style and contents with the Encyclopedia of World Gold Coins, the same format and and easy to use information on every minted gold, platinum, and palladium coin. coins, actual size photos are in B&W but is missing complete important sections like whole countries as in Netherlands, and segments as in Australian Sovereigns, 1500's???. You can find missing information within the 4 now 5 volumes of Standard Catalog Of World Coins 1600-2005.
This volume is easy to use contains a wealth of information and excellent organization seldom found in other books.
***** 5 STARS for content and easy of use.
it has some shortcomings but is an invaluable resource.

See the following for further Numismatic information:

Coins of England and the United Kingdom
2008 Guide Book of Us Coins Redbook (Guide Book of United States Coins) (Guide Book of United States Coins)
Encyclopedia of U.S. Gold Coins: 1795 - 1933, Circulating, Proof, Commemorative, and Pattern Issues
How the experts buy and sell gold bullion, gold stocks, & gold coins
Us Gold Counterfeit Detection Guide (Official Whitman Guidebook)

Probably the only reference book for modern golden coins. Useful to discover what coins have a numismatic value and not only a value related to gold content.

A must have book for every student and collector of world gold coins from the 1600's on. I agree that for research prior to the 1600's one needs Friedbergs "Gold Coins of the World" . As a professional coin dealer I recommend both of these books to customers who are interested in learing about and collecting world gold coins.

A complete guide, perfect for basic information about any specific coin around the world.

GREAT BOOK, HOWEVER, COMPLETELY FORGOT TO MENTION ANY COINS FROM THE NETHERLANDS, IE: KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS-1815-DATE.