Jovial jewel of numismatic literature. Perfect for beginners.
Perfect for intermediate collectors. Perfect for sophisticated
numismatists. Author Ron Guth's writing talent and coin "know-how"
play second fiddle to no one. Guth correctly identifies what ought to
be bedrock knowledge for coin collectors, and then goes on to describe it
all in entertaining, plainly understood English. The usual appealing "Dummies"
format, friendly and conducive to learning. Well illustrated. Highest
recommendation. Small wonder
Coin Collecting for Dummies is one of the top selling coin books on
Amazon. Only about $15, but there are plenty of USED copies as much as 40% off.
"The book tackles a variety of subjects
including storing coins, valuing, buying and selling, and grading and
cleaning coins. Separate chapters deal with ancient and world coins,
as well as each of the denominations of U.S. coins. Website and
mailing addresses are included for the reader to obtain additional
information. Throughout the book detailed coin photographs are used to
illustrate the terms and concepts discussed in the text. 357 pages,
softbound."
Yet another in the wildly popular "Dummies" series, this one doesn't
disappoint in the least. Actually, the content is far above average.
Author Ron Guth assumes that some readers
are coin collecting Dummies, a similar premise upon which all "Dummies"
books are founded. I can say this: Any Dummy who absorbs all
357 pages of this particular general reference will promote themselves to
the rank of seasoned numismatist.
While no subject is probed to the depth, as say, a colonoscopy,
front-burner topics crucial to all coin collectors are dealt with in an
informative, straightforward fashion.
Tons
of tidbits are divided up into six parts: Part I - Numismatics,
Easier Said then Done, Part II - Buying Coins the Safe Way,
Part III - Choosing Coins for Your Collection, Part IV - Focusing on
U.S. Coins, Part V - Selling (Sob!) Your Numismatic Treasures, and
Part VI - The Part of Tens (various "Top Ten" lists).
Guth writes "This book is designed to appeal to collectors at every level,
from beginners to advanced. I wrote it in everyday English...."
Guth states further "This is not a hardcore coin book. Rather, this
book is a great general reference that point you in different directions
for further investigation. You can always come back to this book to
regroup, resupply, and ready yourself for something new." On all
accounts, I agree that the author hits the mark on all he set out do
accomplish.
I
thoroughly enjoyed this book. It reaffirmed much of what I already know,
made me proud to be a coin collector, and carried me to the next milepost
along my numismatic journey in life. Definitely one of my favorite
books.
The
author, Ron Guth, writes in a humorous, entertaining style. The
subject of numismatics, if one isn't careful, can drown readers is a sea
of boredom. Guth employs a little levity to keep us afloat.
The cartoons are a scream!
While at a local bookstore one day, I
started thumbing through the superb Table of Contents. Within about
30 seconds, I started dropping hints to my family that I hoped Santa Claus
would bring me
Coin Collecting for Dummies for Christmas. Sure enough, Santa
sneaked a copy under the family Christmas tree.
Fairly good index. Utilizing both the expanded Table of Contents and
the index, readers can efficiently locate targeted topics of interest.
I
really like the layout of the text. The chapter intros, bullet
points, headings, sub-headings, cute icons, sidebars, and framing all
synergize to create a reader-friendly presentation.
All photos are in black and white. The
coin photos are enlarged, sharp and clear, so that details are plainly
visible. Photos of every basic American type coin are found.
Non-coin photos are dispersed throughout the text and enhance the learning
environment.
Terrific book, still
popular and valuable three years after publication. Don't let the
title fool you. Yes, Travers does have some good ideas on turning a
profit, but I still categorize this as a general reference. Beginners
will appreciate this book, but so will those not so new to the coin
collecting hobby. I checked this book out first from my local library
and appreciated it so much that it bought a like-new USED copy from
Amazon for $8.50 (not including P & H).
"Learn how to
outsmart the grading services; how to understand coin pricing and how to
identify hot, profitable coins; how to use the 50 State Quarters
promotions to your advantage; how to save money with tax-slashing
strategies; and how to negotiate deals like a professional."
Wide ranging content. Exposes new
collectors to many important facets of the coin hobby. Great for
experienced collectors too. I've been a collector for nearly 40
years and learned a lot.
You don't have to be someone looking to
make a profit in coins. There is plenty of other worthwhile
information contained within these 317 pages.
The author is a famous coin dealer and
an accomplished writer. Lots of the tidbits he passes on is from the
perspective of the ultimate insider and provide "shortcuts" to becoming a
successful numismatist. Examples: the secrets of coin pricing, and
how to recognize and avoid traps.
The interviews with other coin dealers
are quite fascinating. Information I've never seen in print before
is revealed, as if the reader is allowed to eavesdrop on private
conversations.
The evolution of coin grading is
described. Good introduction to the topic. Excellent explanation on how grades are assigned.
Good presentation on the ups and downs
of the coin market since the 1960s. This helps us to understand how
we got to where we are today.
Documents how the the 50 State Quarter program has contributed to the
increase in the number of coin collectors.
Lots of good action strategies for
making coin profits in good markets and bad. Reasoned advice on what
and when to sell, what and when to buy.
Travers lays out a methodical, common
sense approach to buying and selling coins.
Acquisition Risk: Learn how to determine what a coin is
really worth, and don't pay too much.
Market Risk: There is a chance a
coin may depreciate in value, but the risk is reduced if you follow the
logic behind price performance and market cycles.
Sales Risk: Don't get hurt by
selling a coin for less than its real worth.
The "Crack-Out" game can indeed make
some money in coins "Right Now", but only if you know how the game is
played. Travers teaches you the rules.
Other strategies for returning coin profits are explained. Most of
them appear sound. One strategy I thought was shaky is to buy common
date generic gold and silver coins, and hold them until the metals market
explodes. Some investors have been holding on since 1980 for that to
happen, and in my opinion, will still be waiting many years from now.
Still, Travers doesn't over hype coins
as investments. I can't stand charlatans claiming that all
collectible coins are marvelous investments.
Some of the info is a bit dated, such as
the material about coins and the Internet. This is not seriously
detrimental to the overall Content Rating, since the major concepts of the
book are still quite valid.
Overreaching attempt to be all things to all collectors. The New
York Times Guide to Coin Collecting is praised in the Foreward as an
incomparable tour guide, introducing visitors to a place called Coinland.
Sticking with this analogy, the tourist doesn't have ample opportunity to
soak in one "exhibit" before being whisked offto the next. At
times, we get dizzy because it seems like were being led around in circles.
Talk about a whirlwind tour! But, if you can handle the dizziness,
there's something interesting on just about every page. For a few
bucks, you can pick up a USED one on
Amazon. I did.
"Mr. Reiter, the editor of COINage
magazine and former New York Times coin columnist, provides a
literate and insightful guide for the novice collector. The book
features the history of coins and minting processes as well as insider's
tips for successful collecting. 219 pages softbound"
Written by Ed Reiter, former numismatics columnist for the New York
Times, this publication strives to introduce the coin hobbyist to the
art, culture, history, and finance attached to coins. The topic
matter is not limited to American coins only.
I believe Reiter crams too much stuff into
219 pages. Consequently, more than just a few areas are described
weakly. I realize this is a general reference, so you don't expect a
whole truckload of detail, but there is something disconcerting about
being whipped around from one subject to the next so rapidly.
Nearly everyone can learn something from
TNYTGCC. It's obvious the author has achieved a high level of
numismatic education, and has partitioned out many little parcels of
knowledge to share with us readers.
Here is a tiny sampling of the titled topics you'll be brushed past in
just the first 50 pages: The origin of coinage in ancient
civilizations, the history of coin collecting in the United States, ways
to collect foreign coins, paper money, US branch mint history, the
greatest coin collection of all time, the history of the coin market in
the United States, ways to buy and sell coins, and the supply/demand rule.
The scope of subject matter is just too broad to remain focused.
This is a real blizzard of Do's, Don'ts, Facts, Myths, and History, that
I'm afraid a freshly minted collector might be overwhelmed if handed this
book as his/her first reading assignment.
I
first discovered TNYTGCC at the local library. There were
elements I found in the book I appreciated, some of which found their way
to this website. When a USED copy showed up on Amazon for a meager
sum, I jumped on it. So even though I'm sounding a little tough on
this publication, I thought enough of it to add it to my personal coin
book collection.
Some of the coin images (example, pp. 64 and 65) are terrible. It
looks like a 2nd grader cut them out of a magazine and pasted into the
text. Moreover, the photos don't even come close to delivering their
intended message. On a positive note, there are other photos
(example, pg 30, a 1972 check written in the amount of $180,000 for the
purchase of two classic rarities) that are unusual and stimulate interest,
and there are enough of these scattered throughout the book to prevent all
the words from running together.
A one line per chapter Table of Contents.
Subheadings or bullet points are justified here to properly review the
many topics put forward in every chapter.
The author's manner of expressing concepts and choice of words keeps the
reader moving along, wanting to learn more. That's good, but
unfortunately, the reader literally does not know what to expect from one
page to the next. There is no continuity or clear sense of
direction.
We bounce to and fro. For instance, in
Chapter 3 we dab into coin investing, but abruptly depart from the
discussion, only to be rejoined again in Chapter 5. The history of
coin collecting in the United States is introduced partially in Chapter 1,
and then picks up again in Chapter 3. In Chapter 7, entitled "The
United States Mint", we're tooling around smartly, enjoying a history of
the early Philadelphia Mint (complete with a few great images),
transitioning nicely to the Mint's metal problems of the mid-19th century.
All of a sudden, our time machine thrusts forward at whiplash speed to the
Coinage Act of 1965.
In a general reference, I don't expect a lot
of depth in any of the subjects, but when someone tries to jam 10 lbs in a
5 lb box, too much of the material is overly summarized.
Polished, full color survey of the
the 100 greatest United States coins. Voting by members of the
Professional Numismatists Guild
settled the
coins making the cut. Every coin in the fabulous club possesses at
least one of the following characteristics: Rarity, Quality,
Popularity, Beauty, and History. Expertly written and gloriously
illustrated, you won't find many better. You can purchase a copy at Amazon.
"This book is filled with stories and color
photographs of some of coin collecting's greatest rarities. The book
begins with the 1804 Silver Dollar and ends with 3 Great Patterns, the 1879
Schoolgirl Stella, the 1879 Quintuple Stella, and the 1882 Earring Dollar.
119 pages hardbound."
How does one choose the 100 greatest U.S. coins? Greatness, of
course, depends upon who is being asked. Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth
polled members of the Professional
Numismatists Guild, a society of leading coin dealers, to answer this
open-ended question.
The PNG votes were tabulated and ranked.
The top 100 are presented in order, from the #1 coin to the 100th.
All the great coins listed in this book have
one or more of the following characteristics: Rarity, Value,
Quality, Popularity, Beauty, and History.
The PNG voting produced interesting results. The highest ranked
coin, by a long shot, is the 1804 silver dollar. Holding down the
second and third positions are the 1913 Liberty Head nickel and the 1933
St. Gaudens double eagle, respectively.
Much excellent research supports the description of each top 100 coin.
The type of information includes facts regarding the coin's origin, how
collector's opinions were shaped over the years, estimated rarity, and
value trends over time. The overall attitude is one of reverence.
As a practical matter, about 98 of the 100
coins are beyond the financial reach of the vast majority of coin
collectors. Why then, would the average collector bother owning a
book like this? If you have a fervor for numismatics and American
history, you already know the answer.
The book concludes with a bang. Retail
values for each coin from the years 1960, 1980, and 2003, are listed in
tabular format. The cumulative value of the "Greatest 100" was $842,250
in 1960. By 1980, this total climbed to $11,197,750, and in 2003,
the top 100 was valued at an astonishing $67,040,000.
My preconceived notion, upon learning of the book's title, was that the
content would be necessarily limited to a very narrow range. I was
wrong. The text journeys the reader through a medley of numismatic
passages and hidden portals. I had no idea of the surprises awaiting
me, and I'm a better numismatists than I was before.
The enlarged, sharply focused color photographs are perhaps the best I've
ever seen. This book is gorgeously illustrated. Many of the
photos are jaw-droppers.
I admire the straightforward writing style.
The book's layout, font selection, format, and just about everything that
has to do with Style, Presentation, and Readability is Five-Star all the
way.
If I may make one humble suggestion to the talented authors... if there is
someday to be a sister publication of some kind, please include an index.
There are plenty of names, places, and events to warrant an index.
The glossy coated pages certainly enhance
the professionalism of this publication.
Well-aimed weapon in the war against rip-off artists who seek to separate
uninformed coin collectors from their money. That's the underlying
theme in Scott Travers' Coin Collector's Survival Manual, now in its
4th edition. Travers traverses other issues of critical importance to
the numismatist. Whether you just dabble in coins or are an upper
echelon buyer, the words of wisdom given in this book are valuable in your
pursuit of coins. Even if you retain only one or two lessons from the
Survival Manual, it's well worth the $14 you'll dish out to
Amazon to place an order.
"The revised 4th edition includes some timely
information on strategies for purchasing a safe and securely storing your
collection and electronic records pertaining to it. The increasing
cost of insurance and issues relative to coin conservation are also
discussed. A new appendix with a value chart for commonly traded U.S.
and world gold coins has also been included. Here's a resource that
will teach you how to purchase coins over the Internet, learn to read
between the lines of price guides and newsletters; and how to avoid getting
ripped off."
The lineup of coin professionals assisting in the preparation of this book
reads like a "Who's Who" of numismatics. I recognize many of these
individuals, have read their work for years, and acknowledge them to be
leaders in their field. The high quality material in Coin
Collector's Survival Manual reflects the contributions of these
experts.
The principal aim of the entire book is to
help the reader avoid getting cheated. Travers states, chillingly,
"The coin market is like an ocean of hungry sharks, waiting for a
powerless victim into whom they can sink their teeth" (now THAT imagery
hurts!). To help you survive in the ocean of sharks, Travers
effectively compiles an assortment of self-help grading guidelines,
doctored coins, simple methods of detecting counterfeits and alterations,
all complemented by enlarged coin photos, and much more.
There are priceless tips, spread out over
two chapters, on the proper storage of coins. By failing to
carefully choose how and where to keep your collection, you may one day
wake up to realize all is lost, to deterioration or to a thief!
There is an entire chapter on magnification and lighting. As a
numismatist with nearly 40 years experience, I was not aware of how
seemingly subtle differences in lighting affects a coin's appearance so
dramatically.
In the Grading chapter, Travers attempts to simplify a complex, subjective
art, within 42 condensed pages of information. The author is the
first to admit that 42 page is short changing the topic of grading, but I
will vouch he does a fine job laying out a few important things to watch
out for.
There are 46 photos, 20 of them taken under extreme magnification,
touching upon numerical grading standards, imperfections, spotting wear,
strike quality, toning, and doctored coins.
Travers also lets the reader in on how some
dealers cheat their customers by overgrading. His "blue collar" vs.
"white collar" overgrading concept is interesting, but sure to raise your ire.
On the heels of the Grading chapter is a 48
page section on the grading service companies. It's the best
explanation I've ever seen of how the grading companies operate... the
Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Understanding how the grading services
have impacted the coin business since their inception in 1986 is crucial
to understanding the marketplace today. For those who dare to dream of
being successful investors, this chapter is a MUST read.
Dealing with dealers is given some ink. The interview with the
former con-man was an eye opener. It brought back painful memories
of the fraud perpetrated upon me a couple of decades ago. I learned
my lesson then... who knows, perhaps the interviewee was the
silver-tongued shyster who swindled me.
Coin Collector's Survival Manual consists of 14 chapters and 4
appendices. The Table of Contents has bullet point highlights of the
topics covered under each chapter title. Thus, in less than two
minutes, its possible to grasp the breadth of the book's content, with
just enough information to whet your appetite to get started.
Travers introduces new chapters with crafty
vignettes. These are attention getters, and convey the essence of
the chapter you're about to read. I liked this approach.
Most photos are black and white, and just about all of them are highly
instructive. A few of them are duds, unfortunately.
There are a few color photos, and believe it
or not, some are surprisingly ghastly. On balance, the SPR of this
book is very good, so dropping to a Three-Star rating on the basis of a
few poor photos is unjustified.
