by Rob72830 » Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:34 pm
Okjdawg, welcome to the hobby. what Cid told you is good advice.There are lots of great coin books out there but for the new collector I would recommend The Guidebook of United States Coins by R.S. Yeoman or otherwise known as the Redbook because the cover is red. Best book IMO for the collector. Lots of good info. If you are interested in learning more, I would suggest visiting some coin shops if there are any in your area. Look around and ask questions. Most coin dealers were/are collectors themselves. In my experience, most dealers are helpful to new collectors. Just remember, if you go to a dealer and to sell coins you will not get what the book says a coin is worth. Dealers buy at 30 to 40 percent less than book value. I would also add if no one has told you that a coin's value is determined by condition, mintage, mintmark and how much of a demand there is for it. I hope all of this helps and read these message boards. Lots of good information and ask questions. Lots of knowledge here and people happy to help you learn.