Colonial/early US coins

[RickS]

So, as some of you know, I'm new to this hobby. (as in....weeks).

What books/resources would you recommend for someone interested in very early US coins? From a date perspective, Civil War and prior have interest to me due to the time period and what was going on in our country.

Appreciate any pointers. Thanks!

-Rick

[george454]

If you are going to collect the coins from that error the most important thing is to accurately grade them. Just get a feel for the grading system, practice on pocket change there are many intricacies to grading, the most important is try not to over-grade them. This is one of my favorite books I use for this, I have no tie to the ebay listing so please don,t feel you need to order it from this link. This was just the quickest link I could find. Remember most coins you will find are over graded and often overpriced so knowing how to accurately grade then will help eliminate over paying on these coins. Once you know the grade then the average Red Book price guide will suffice. I generally try and take 10-15% off their prices though, they seem to be a little inflated.

There are also several good topics on this board, and don't be scared to ask of others opinion on here. You may also post something in the want to buy section many members have some good collections and often at a price that is unbeatable.

Link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/NUMISMATIC-GRADING- ... 3f03c57c09

[bman]

This book is a little pricey but it's a great resource for early U.S. coins:

http://www.amazon.com/Walter-Breens-Complete-Encyclopedia-Colonial/dp/0385142072

[RickS]

Thanks folks. I'll probably stick to the <$75 books for now and see if I still have an interest after reading up.

[Market Harmony]

Hi Ricky,

I really think that your absolute best option is to go to coin shows and talk to dealers in the coins that you like and get to handle some and see how they are graded and priced. If you let them know that you are looking to develop a collection of a certain type of coin, and they have those coins, then they should be happy to spend a good bit of time answering your questions and helping you to gain as much knowledge on the series as possible.

You're going to get solid information from books. And you'll be able to use much of that information as a base of knowledge for when you buy the prime-time coins in the series that you're looking for. But all the pictures in the world will not be able to capture the beauty of a coin in your hand. Nor will any book be able to draw a connection between you and a really nice coin. Keep the hobby fun for you and enjoy the coins that you decide to purchase. Take your time, too. The right coin might take a year or more to find, but it will be worth it, and that's what makes this so much fun.

And, I'm pretty sure that there are other members here that are interested in early US coin. Good luck, and keep us updated on some of your scores