Coins Books

Value, reciprocity, and exchange are making a big comeback and deservedly so. Graeber's book is a fascinating trip through the literature (both the good and the bad) with his own persuasive and original theory thrown in to boot. Graeber deserves thanks for the former and does it one better with the latter.

You should be forewarned, though, Graeber is . . . an anthropologist! I know, I can hear you saying: "No! Surely they all died of self-reflection during the postmodern plagues! Are there really any still alive?" One of Graeber's great accomplishments is that he actually understands and can talk about in plain language - even with flair and humor - the important theoretical issues that others have attacked and obscured using indecipherable jargon and nonsense verse.

More suprising still, he makes topics that drive most people to tears of boredom seem not only interesting, but relevant. If you've no idea what a potlatch is or what the kula is all about, Graeber tells you not only how they work, but why you should care.

Most importantly, then, this is not just a nice book of theory & it's not just a pleasure to read. It's about really important stuff, the stuff that makes life both possible and meaningful. If you want depth and breadth of analysis about how social life shapes meaning and quality of life, forget Putnam and social capital; this is a far deeper and more important work. This is anthropology as it should be: rich, lucid, and open to all comers.

Highly recommended.

Graeber's book is not only a welcome addition to the anthropological literature on value; his work also goes well beyond simple exposition of Durkheim, Mauss, Marx and Malinowski and does what most authors should: make this book not only relevant to a wide variety of concerns but propose a theory that can lead you to change your view of the world if you take it seriously. Reading this book brought me to look at further works by Caille, Godbout and others working with the aptly named and little known MAUSS group in France; Graeber's book has been not only good to read, but good to think.

The one serious criticism I have (hence 4, not 5 stars, I would give 4.5+ if I could) is that Graeber needs an editor; not to clean up typos but to clarify his style. He keeps almost everything he writes tentative by qualifying everything in a conversational and hesitant style. Hesitation is not the same as prudence! This detracts so seriously from the real pleasure I gained from reading the book that I considered giving up before the end; if this book had been written with more attention to those issues of style, I would have stayed up all night to finish reading it the first day I received it.

Written at a time when the so-called "linguistic" (i.e. litcrit) turn has made many outside of anthropology question its relevance to larger issues (or to believe it had been superseded by literary "Cultural Studies" departments, Graeber has made a case for a sophisticated, relevant and engaged anthropology that doesn't simply limit itself in area studies or make itself irrelevant to contemporaneous worlds in a misguided positivism; his book keeps open the very human questions of value and action in our historically contingent and yet imagined worlds.

not having yet read more than a few pages of mr. graeber's work, i can already wholeheartedly agree with him when he says it is the only readable book on the subject.

This is a book that I suspect will be assigned in many anthropology classes & derservedly so. It should (but probably won't) also be assigned in most economics classes. It's sophisticated yet accessible treatment of core disciplinary issues is something we can all be grateful for.

Graeber is extremely erudite but never overbearing. His logic is complex, impeccable, and totalizing. And he has with easy grace wrung new meanings and infused new life into classic anthropological cases and works that hitherto have existed simply to torment fledgeling social science graduate students taking courses on veteran scholars like Mauss, Durkheim, Marx, and Weber.

What he is suggesting massively changes the way we look at cultural systems of value, exchange, and meaning. These ideas (and perhaps the author's politics) are revolutionary, yet you cannot come away from a reading (or re-reading--be prepared to take some time with this in order to understand all of the issues at stake) of this book without feeling that it all makes perfect sense.

If you are ready to read an academic book that really challenges the way you look at the economy you are part of, this may be the one for you.

CS:

I received this book and believe it is as expected. Price is at FMV (Fair Market Value). I have not yet proof read it but what I have seen it makes a great reference for those who collect currency. However, it would have been helpful to include the Friedberg number in the Appendix along with the description. Yes, this number can be variable but you have included prices that are also variable and approximate. It may have been better to give a ratio(range)year column price divided by the face value of the currency.

This book was exactly what I expected. Good photos and stories behind 100 of the most famous notes in history. Great as a reference or as a coffe table book.

This is an incredible book to have in your library if your a collector of U.S. Paper Currency or not. Stunning pictures of each of the notes this book goes into great detail in discussing. I have this book and the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins book sitting out in my livingroom for all to see and everyone who has stopped by can not help but pick up these books. Then the oh's and ah's start pouring out !!! Absolute incredible book to have in anyone's private library without a doubt.

It is the rare numismatic book that is educational AND entertaining. This book is one of those rare books.
I wrote a review of this book for the Bank Note Reporter, the newpaper for collectors of paper money. I have included an only slightly altered version of that review below.

My best purchase at the Chicago Paper Money Exposition was a copy of the new book 100 Greatest American Currency Notes by two of my favorite numismatists--Q. David Bowers and David M. Sundman. Chet Krause and Cliff Mishler wrote a foreword for the book making that four of my favorites all in one book. No, that is not right. Tom Denly was something called valuations editor for the book so that makes five of my favorite--and greatest--numismatists all in one volume.
In short, the book is beautiful to behold and a joy to read. That sums it up quite nicely, but I do have a lot more to say about it. I feel that I am particularly qualified to do this because I had started a book with exactly the same premise. I still have my notebook with my work. That means that they stole my idea! Of course that is easy to say after they have completed their work and I only have a notebook. It is also untrue. The original idea was Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth's popular 100 Greatest American Coins. Imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery. I must also say that Bowers and Sundman did a far better job than I would have done (not that I did not have a few enhancements).
The basic premise of the book is to select and discuss the 100 greatest American notes. The authors have done this admirably. The basic methodology was to survey a wide group of dealers asking them to list what they considered to be the top notes. While the methodology was good and the results were great, my first complaint is that I would have liked to have learned more about the methodology. The authors tabulated the results then provided the discussion. As the creators of this project, they have a greater insight than anyone on the subject. I would at a minimum have liked to read more of their thoughts on the results, but these are small complaints.
If you have not seen the book you can cast a silent vote right now for your top note or top ten. Now that you have done that, you will probably not be surprised that the clear favorite of the survey was the "Grand watermelon" ($1000 Series 1890 Silver Certificate). The authors expected it to be number one and I had it number one in the notes for my book. You have to figure that a note with a nickname like that would come in first or to look at it the other way that a note worthy of being first would have a nick name. Indeed, nine of the top ten have nicknames.
Two pages are devoted to discussing the grand watermelon and each of the top ten notes. Thereafter it is one page per note. This is the meat of the book. Indeed, the book could just as easily have been something like 100 Great Paper Money Stories.
The two Davids excelled in the preparation of the text to describe the notes. They supplemented the illustrations of the notes and their discussions with additional illustrations (some of these of coins (gasp)). Most ot these are excellent and some are great in both content and quality. They are a highlight of the book. This seems to be an appropriate place to mention the superb quality of book production. It is color throughout and truly excellent. My one complaint is that the book is in a large format 10 x 12 inches. Many people will consider this a feature. Authors (including me) like these large formats, but they are harder to read. They look great on the coffee table, but are difficult to handle curled up in a chair or in an airline torture seat.
I did not know that the watermelon description of this note could be traced back to an 1891 newspaper story. Perhaps I had read this before, but if I had, I had forgotten it. The entire quotation from the paper is included. From the footnotes at the back of the book I learned this interesting tidbit. The quotation is "From an 1891 clipping, no day date, in a scrapbook compiled in 1891 and 1892 (now owned by Q. David Bowers)." I found many of the notes worth reading.
Each entry includes a box with "historic Market Values" and "Commentary on Value." This is the work of the valuations editor. This book is not a catalog of values (I like that), but the inclusion of this information is interesting in its own right and is nice balances with the text and graphics. When I was working on my project, I had not thought of anything like this.
Number two in the survey is the $500 national bank note. It is a good and obvious choice. It was also number two on my list.
The third note in the survey is Massachusetts Bay Colony 5-shilling notes of December 10, 1690. It is the first government-issue American paper money (according to Eric Newman). Among other interesting (amazing) things that I learned in this entry is that in the 17th century the annual calendar ran from March 25 to March 24. I also learned that the unique example of this note resides in the Essex Institute, Salem, Massachusetts. That is certainly an appropriate city. I wonder if the note is on public display.
The balance of the top ten are very interesting indeed. Instead of being great rarities they are dominated by relatively common notes and certainly are affordable in circulated grades to most collectors. The one exception is number eight, the "Spread Eagle Note" (Series of 1862 and 1863 $100 Legal Tender note).
The others are respectively in positions four though ten (except eight): Lazy Deuce ($2 National Bank Note), $5 Educational note (Series of 1896 Silver Certificate), and Bison Note" (Series of 1891 $10 Legal Tender note), $1 "Educational Note (Series of 1896 Silver Certificate," $20 "Technicolor note" (Series of 1905 Gold Certificate, and the "Indian Chief" (Series of 1899 $5 Silver Certificate).
The other ninety notes include a wide array of interesting and historical notes. The entry on every single one is worth studying, but to me the most interesting (especially for discussion here) are those that might not be obvious choices.
United States fractional notes get two entries on the list. Interestingly, number 14, the fractional currency shield, is not a note at all, but a virtual collection of notes. Having said, that I think that it is a good choice.
Four Confederate notes make the list with several of them having nicknames (the Indian Princess and Montgomery notes (two denominations making the list)).
That vast, amorphous, and ill defined area known as obsolete notes are also included. Numbers 23 and 24 are Santa Clause notes and polar bear notes even though they are more categories than actual notes. Again, I think that they were good choices.
I was pleased and even a little surprised to see both World War II issues (Hawaii and North Africa) make the top 100. They won their places because of their extraordinary historical reasons for issue.
These various categories of notes included in the book are the apparent reason for the awkward book title. I offer this criticism with respect because I struggled with this problem in my unversion of this book. If you say United States notes you probably should not include Confederate notes. Colonial and Continental notes would not really fit. "Obsolete" notes would be in doubt too. Even American notes (as chosen) presents some problems. Does American include Canada? Mexico? I do not like the term currency notes, but I understand the problem. Bank notes does not fit because most of the notes selected were not issued by banks under any definition. Many people (unfortunately) would simply say currency but that is a very bad choice because currency is coins and paper money. In most constructions paper money does not work (100 Greatest American Paper Money). Even notes has some problems. Certainly, national bank notes are notes. but are silver and gold certificates notes? In the final analysis, having said that I do not like what we was used, but I do not have a better title.
I love the book, but I disagree with some of the choices. That is one of the wonderful aspects of books of lists. They are certain to generate discussion if not controversy. I was surprised that no error or star notes made the list. I can understand that they can be excluded as being sort of varieties of other issues, but, still, I think that a token from either or both of these categories could have been included.
You will probably not be surprised that I think that a military payment certificate should have been on the list. Having said that, I should be prepared to tell you which one. I gave that considerable thought in my work. I considered the unknown replacements and the unique replacements. Of course there is the Series 541 $5 with its attractive design and world record price history. I thought about the unique specimen booklets for Series 541 and 591. I really liked them because they have nicknames ("Comptroller Booklets"). Finally, I decided that the best choice would be the unique specimen and progressive proof set of Series 661. It does not have a widely recognized nickname, but it is still a good choice. I had a brief exchange with Tom Denly on this very subject after drafting this review. He said that he thought that if an MPC were to be included, it should be something like a Series 692 $10 or $20 because they would be very recognizable and would also be collectible. I like his thinking!
There are other good features good features of the book that I have not mentioned. The formatter is all quite good. You can imagine my surprise at finding my name mentioned. Earning that honor as an old timer (my term) is a double edged honor. The selected bibliography and recap of the top 100 in an appendix are also useful.
I expect that this will be a very successful book, just as the Garrett-Guth version on coins was. Can it generate more spinoffs like the 100 Greatest World Notes, or even the 100 Greatest National Bank Notes? I doubt it, but I would love to have both of those in my own library.
If it is not obvious, I highly recommend 100 Greatest American Currency Notes by Q. David Bowers and David Sundman. It was published by Whitman Publishing and should be available wherever numismatic books are sold and even in many book stores at around $30.

This book by Lupoff and Thompson is a pioneering work. Books on comics used to focus on daily strips and almost always glossed over comic books entirely. This was the first to give us the background of the artists, writers, and the charecters themselves. Well worth the money.

There is a story told, of a poor Italian man who lived in a small house with dirt floors. His only true possession was a painting that has been handed down through his family. He hung it over his fireplace. Well, rumors spread and a investigating Art Historian found that the painting was a lost Bottichelli , valued at several million dollars. After the discovery was made public, the man was forced to sell the painting as he could not afford security or insurance for it. This painting that was once appreciated for its beauty was now appreciated for its large price tag.

The point of this, and there is one, is that comics were once valueless pieces of old paper. People loved them anyways, and loved them enough to write this little book. "All in Color for a Dime" has a secret that modern comic collectors may have lost. It exudes joy for the four-color wonders know as comics. There is so much excitement in recounting the lost but not forgotten Captain Marvel, or even gaining new found respect for Popeye. All those little treasures are recounted in personal stories. Comics for the love of it, and not for the price tag. Reading Golden Age comics for the stories, what a great concept!

However, as a modern comics collector, I seem unable to ignore price tags entirely. I must admit I chucked when one of the writers was astounded to learn that a mint Action Comics #1 could be sold for up to $300.00. Those were the days.

This is a classic reprint. Authentic information from when comics were real.

I read this book four times when I was in junior high and high school, and I'm so glad to see it in print again. Great history, great pictures, and must have for comic book fans everywhere.

While this book is a nice piece of history and a wonderful overview of Roman Provincial coins it definitely NOT a book to look to enable you to identify any coins you may acquire of this type. The best I can advise to do is get the book and then seek out other sources (well documented in the
book) and use them to attribute those coins in your possession. Make no mistake, I believe the book is good and a beginning to ones library. To identify any portion of Provincial coins in a volume of this size is just not possible. Buy the book if you are just starting as it will give you a good start on their history.

If you are a starting collector of ancient coins, or even a seasoned pro, this series is a must for your library. Mr. Sayles does a wonderful job of covering a vast subject in a concise and interesting way. Highly recommended!!

I recently purchased a copy of this book on the strength of other volumes in the series. I was happily surprised to find explanations to many of the questions on Roman Provincial coins (Greek Imperial Coins) that I had not been able to find elsewhere. If you are looking for an excellent introductory volume to this area of ancient numismatics, I can't think of a better place to start. You will want to keep the volume right at hand when you examine your coins, and will enjoy reading it from cover to cover as well. Highly recommended.

The study of Roman Provincial coinage is one that needs greater attention now than ever before. With the combined factors of the fall of Soviet Communism, the advent of the Internet and it's various auction sites - these coins are becoming plentiful and an inexpensive overview was sorely needed and Mr. Sayles book fits the niche well. While it is not comprehensive, it is an excellent starting place. For the person who is thinking of collecting Roman Provincial coins or who has started already and feels themselves a bit overwhelmed with choices, this book might help them find some direction and focus.

Like all the other books prior to it, it is about 200 pages in length and it has over 300 coin photos. The print is easy on the eyes and the layout over all is well executed and there is a bibliography within most of the chapters and an index in the back of the book as well as a glossary.

The first two chapters describe provincial coinage itself and the provincial territory in general. The third chapter is the longest part of the book (100 pages) is "A Tour Of The Provinces" and takes the reader through the western provinces, the Balkans and Greece, Asia Minor and Mesopotamia, the Levant, Roman Egypt (it is notable here that Kerry Wetterstrom the current publisher & editor of the Celator - formerly Mr. Sayles publication who is a well known collector of the coins of Roman Egypt wrote this section) & North Africa.

The fourth chapter covers some interesting portraits and "client kings" - often the puppet monarchies of the Roman Empire. The 5th chapter is on understanding provincial coinage and the sixth is on deciphering them - attributing them. Make no mistake though, this book makes no intention of being an attribution catalogue/reference work. Rather, chapter six is sort of a guide for the user who has a "coin in hand" that they are trying to decipher.

Chapter seven is on iconography, items like portraits, temples, astrological symbols and other things common to the series. The eighth and final chapter is like several of it's predecessors in the series, a number of "Masterpieces" of Roman Provincial coins - a sort of gallery of the finest types you may come across.

As a collector of Roman-Syrian and Roman-Egyptian coins as well as some other types, I found the book very satisfying and it is my favorite of the whole series. This book put into the hands of young and old readers alike is sure to inspire a fair amount of daydreaming. I would highly recommend this book to the lover of ancient art as well as the numismatist, it is just as beautiful as it is an informative work.

My daughter already had the purple set, so we got this one because Kazam was her favorite. All the little books are easy, predictable and fun. They are perfect for beginning readers.

These sets contain 10 books that each tell a very short story with a funny ending through repetition. Illustrations are done well, characters are memorable. Child feels a sense of accomplishment as the set contains a chart with stickers for each book completed, a certificate of completion and a "BLANK" book for the child to author/illustrate their own book. Set also contains a parent guide. Our son loves these books... highly motivated him into a reader. He is the top reader in his kindergarten class and now has the love of books/reading that will pull him along through his education at a heightened pace.

I bought these books for my grandson who is in Kindergarten. After changing schools mid-year he was slow to grasp reading. I thought these books might be just his level and because the adult reads a summery of the story first he has found books he can read. The confidence these books gave him to continue was amazing. He now has gone one to slightly harder books but he still loves these.

We have purchased other Brand New Readers sets, and have never been disappointed yet. Our kids (5 1/2 year old son and almost 3 year old daughter) love the simple stories and illustrations, and while our son is sounding out the words, his little sister is enthusiastically shouting out the story based on the picture clues and memorization. They both feel a huge sense of accomplishement when they read to us, and we all love the humor used in the stories. Move over Dick and Jane; Brand New Readers make learning how to read fun!

This book is perfect for homeschooling unit studies or just pleasure reading. My four year old daughter was zoned in from start to finish. Absolutely beautiful artwork and very interesting subject matter. Highly recommended!

Having been a teacher of gifted children, it is exciting to have a book such as "The Buffalo Nickel" to offer them. Morrison's telling of the non-fiction story develops their appreciation of American history; the beauty of the artwork teaches a sense of dignity; and the respect for the sculptor helps all children learn about the importance of excellent work. Gifted children need fiction and fantasy, but they also need the challenge of great minds working on great things. This book takes them behind the scenes and tells an interesting story of an important American.

This book would make a fine gift for someone wishing to introduce a child to a little history of the old west, while at the same time acquainting them with an outline of the coin minting process. Accompanied by many illustrations (nicely printed book), the text is suitable for younger children (I'd say up to 10 years old or so) and will offer a pleasant insight into the life of the man who designed one of our nation's most distinctive coins. Definitely recommended.
-- Greg Burns
-- Editor, The NASC Quarterly, ...
-- Editor, The GlenCoin News, ... (pending)

When my brother and I were little, 6 and 8, my father brought home one night a paper sack of coins and several dark blue coin collecting books. Right then began a love of coins. We spent hours and weeks combing through all those Lincoln pennies, buffalo nickels, dimes, quarters, looking for an R, S, D, and filling those books.

When I found "The Buffalo Nickel" in my school library, I knew I had a treasure in hand. It is the story of the creation of the buffalo nickel. Do you know that a new coin replaces the old every 25 years? That the artist is commissioned to create the coin? And, my goodness, have you ever thought about how coins are made? Taylor Morrison gives us a wonderful story in James Earle Fraser, creator of the buffalo nickel, sometimes referred to as the Indian head nickel.

James's story is so representative of the importance of time and place. He lived to see the end of one era into the next. The Fraser family lived in the Dakota Territory in the 1880's, where his father was an engineer for a railroad and gone much of the time. James had two kinds of companions: old trappers who stopped by and occasional Sioux Indians looking for animals to hunt. Even a whittler had impact on the young boy.

The family returned to Chicago when James was a teen and he began studying art and created a sculpture of a weary Indian on horseback, reminiscent of Remington and Russell. "The End of the Trail" earned him the opportunity to study in Paris. When he returned to the States, he began working for a coin maker and decided to apply to create the new nickel. He thought a plains Indian and buffalo should go together on a coin as distinctly American.

The complicated coin making process is shown over the next several pages. On February 17, 1913, the U.S. Mint began production. On Feb. 22, President Taft presented nickels to a number of chiefs in a special ceremony on Staten Island. The three chiefs who posed for a composite likeness were especially pleased.

Morrison's artwork is intensely colored and vibrant, much as you see on the cover. Rich is a good word to describe each page, even those featuring browns and grays.

Although written as an information book, this extraordinary book could be given as a special gift for the child who collects coins or Native American memorabilia or the like.

Highly recommended!

Other books to read:
End of the Trail: The Odyssey of a Statue
Coin Collecting 101 What You Need to Know
Coin Collecting For Dummies (For Dummies (Sports & Hobbies))
The New York Times Guide to Coin Collecting: Do's, Don'ts, Facts, Myths, and a Wealth of History
The Complete Guide to Lincoln Cents

Learn something every day. Love that maxim!! This book gives you the complete picture, well worth the money.
Dennis Skea

For a long time there was considerable confusion about the authenticity of ancient coins. While considerable quantities have been found in the former ancient sites, and they have been collected since ancient times, few works were available to help the collector distinguish between the actual ancient works and fakes and copies made after. Works that are available are hard to find, usually specific to one forger and quite costly. I can safely say that this book clearly outlines the things to look for, from the commonest tourist cast copy to the advanced techniques used to fool the more advanced collectors.

If you want to collect coins you should include this book as one of your first buys because it can save you many times its cost with the purchase of just one coin that is not right. This is especially true if you are buying on the internet from sometimes unreliable impersonal sources.

The format is great with a show and tell approach, easy to use, and references to other works on specialized areas of counterfeiting.

While it shows and concentrates on mostly ancient coins the information is valid for all copies. There are great plates of the fakes the average modern collector is apt to encounter now on the market. This book will help you acquire the basic knowledge necessary in collecting coins just as in any other facet of collecting antiques or art.

This book is a must read for those starting out in collecting coins, either ancient or modern. It explains the differences in the original minting of coins, and the "modern" reproductions, fakes and forgeries, even ancient forgeries. It is easy reading, and will give a good basis for coin collecting. It is worth the short time it takes to read, and it may save you from some embarassment.

I enjoy reading Mr.Salyes' books and this one is no exception. He easily one of the best current numismatic authors. This work does a great job of covering the types of counterfeits along with their history and an overview of how they are created. It is a very good book for anyone beginning to collect ancient coins. One thing the book is not is a catalog of counterfeits nor a guide on how to detect counterfeits. These subjects are beyond the scope of any general work and are dealt with by various numismatic associations and their publications. So if you are only looking for a manual or catalog move on.

I have been buying these since 1984 when they were published by Seaby. No collector of British coins should be without this book. It will open the eyes of the person just starting his collection and will be a best friend to the more advanced collector.

It covers all British coins from the ancient Celts, to the Romans, the Middle Ages, and modern times.

Superb coin book, Best of the best British numismatics catalogues printed now days, is complete, up-to-date information and values from Spink's own worldwide auctions, excellent ilustrations, and beautifully printed with the highest quality and care.
I also recommended Michael Marsh The gold sovereign, and many other of his writings on Gold Sovereigns and Half Sovereigns.
The gold sovereign
The Sovereign - the World's Most Famous Coin: A History and Price Guide

The Spink catalog is published yearly, and is the standard catalog for the coins of England. The prices listed for common coins reflect average prices that a dealer will charge for a coin, but not what they will pay for a coin. The prices shown for rarer coins usually reflect the most recent auction prices for coins, and are a fairly reliable.

One must keep in mind that most common coins appreciate in value a little each year, a few depreciate, and the rarer coins may appreciate in value quite a bit from the time each yearly catalog was written.

I have found that the most useful value for this catalog is its numbering system for English coins, as the Spink catalog numbers are the most widely used and recognized numbers for identifying English coin, both by dealers and collectors.

Marshall Faintich
Author of "Astronomical Symbols on Ancient and Medieval Coins"

I have several editions of this book. You can never have too many. Each one comes with a different mix. And the newer editions of course will have the newer coins. This is not a substitute for the Standard Catalog of World coins but is better focused on England and a lot easer to carry.

The book also teaches us a little bit of symbolism and history.

Keep in mind that this is still just a guide. Other factors determine the value of the coin to you and others.

The photographs, drawings, and descriptions in this book have allowed us to identify unusual and rare artifacts. This is a must-have for anyone interested in eighteenth century material culture.

This book is an alphabetically organized list of hundreds of artifacts from the Revolutionary War, with photos of everything listed. Each item is described in detail, from powder horns to clothing to medical instruments. If you are a re-enactor of this period and you don't have this book, get it!

This is a CLASSIC reference book on Revolutionary War artifacts!
This one first came out around the time of the bicentennial, and has set the standard from day one. With photographs of original (and in some cases, excavated) and reproduction equipment, this book is a gold mine of information. Where photographs are not available, black and white line drawings by George Woodbridge fill the gap. Woodbridge is one of the BEST illustrators of military subject matter. He captures the details that matter.
Members of the Brigade of the American Revolution were used to further display everyday items used by 18th century soldiers. Museum curators, reenactors, collectors, illustrators and makers of reproduction equipment MUST HAVE THIS BOOK on their shelves.
My only criticism ? Color photos and exact measurements would have been nice. ...

George C. Neumann and Frank J. Kravic have really done it this time. Hands down this is the best book written on artifacts of the American Revolution. From A to Z you can look up nearly anything that was used in the War For Independence. Great for amateurs and pros alike it is an indispensable reference tool especially with museums and private collections. Very popular with online auctions as this book is referred to often. Great photographs that are clear with a brief description of every item. Some of these artifacts are now on display at Valley Forge. For collectors and historians alike this work is unparalleled and for over 20 years has been the "bible" for collecting artifacts of the American Revolution. No other work has come close. Highly recommended.

When I read this book I came to my cents. Yes I did. And you will too. It covers the history of low-self esteem that has plagued the penny ever since inflation made it worthless.

This book is just what I wanted. I went to my local Borders and compared the price to Amazon. Amazon is always cheaper, and I was lucky enough to get free shipping. The book does a great job but the last coin reviewed is the 1995. It states that there has not been any varieties found, however, there has. So This is a great book to help you go through your penny collection and I recommend reading up on how to prevent buying a counterfit; especially when going for the keys and semi-keys in the series. Overall, great book for your library, however, I am looking for a newer book that would cover the entire series. The series may end in 2009, but "buy the book before you buy the coin."

This book has letters between Brenner, Barber, Leach (Director) and others and the details about Brenner and how the Lincoln cent came about. And Brenner is not his real name. It also has letters from President Roosevelt and letters from Brenner to his mother.

Very interesting reading and it goes into some details of each cent minted up to 1995. Plus error cents, counterfeit and altered coins, grading, design changes, pattern and experimental coins, etc.

The book is quite large in size too. It measures 8.5" w x 11" t x almost an inch thick. And it is 364 pages long. The book was published in 2005, so it is a shame it doesn't go into cents past 1995, but overall a nice and interesting read. The only reason why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that they didn't go into Lincoln cents past 1995 and they should have.

This is a wonderful guide to the history, production, and collecting of Lincoln cents. The date/mintmark analysis is particularly useful for consultation everytime I purchase one of these coins. I found no faults whatsoever with this book.