Whenever a person collects something having a book can be very valuable. Not only do you need information, but you need current information. Updating outdated books is essential, and using magazines to keep even more current is advisable.
One thing a book can help with is the value of your coins. You should know the value of your collection. Another is the history or small variations of different coins. Still other books help with specialized collections, such as error coin collecting. So, not all books are alike.
For a really great selection please visit:
The current Red Book, a must hav for collectors of United States coin is
Books That Help with Value
And, Also What Books Are Available
Getting a good price book is important. But, which ones are best? Well, that depends on what you collect, or more specifically, from what parts of the world your collection comes from. And, there may be a need for multiple books covering some countries.
If your collection is from the United States, use The Official Red Book A Guide Book of United States Coins. But, the same company also makes a Blue Book. What is the difference? They are by the same company, and have the same author. Well, one is what you can buy a coin for, and the other is what you can sell it for. Dealers have to make a profit. Most dealers sell at the Red Book price, and buy at the Blue Book price. Well, actually a dealer has access to the changes that occur in pricing, but the Blue Book gives you an idea what to expect.
Canadian coins have their own books. I recommend the book shown below for North American coins. It also includes United States coins and Mexican coins. Can you use this one source instead of the Red Book? Yes. But I recommend both for United States coins. What additional information this gives is an ASW and AGW value for silver and gold coins, respectively. ASW means actual silver weight, and AGW means actual gold weight. It saves a lot of calculations.
There is a world coin book set. Unfortunately, there are so many coins, the world books are often split by year groups.
Some countries whose coins are collected have books devoted to their coins only. There are books for Canada and the United Kingdom. There is a book for Australian coins and banknotes, but Amazon does not normally carry the latest edition. I will place my link below, and any Perth Mint banner on my Black Spaniel Gallery website can get you to the Perth Mint’s site. It is in the gifts section.
Special Collections
Some people collect ancient coins. These will probably not be well represented in books that are not devoted to them. Collecting ancient coins can be fun, and some are inexpensive, but know what you are doing. Since ancient coins were made by a person with a hammer, they are generally not well made. Some were made on the run. Armies had to be paid, and portable mints often went with armies minting soldiers’ pay.
Why are some inexpensive? Soldiers going into battle often hid their coins, and these are still being dug up. Those who were killed in battle had their treasure buried nearby, but no one knew where.
The problem is the crude way in which they were made, and the condition they are often found in. Counterfeit ancient coins are easy to produce, so you will need a book to know exactly what should be there.
Mints often make errors. Current errors are a problem, the extent of the error is unknown, so a value cannot be accurately assessed. Older errors are easier to value, and images are important for those searching for them. Books are needed to cover errors. Some happen in a random manner regularly, such as an off center strike. Others, like double strikes, or misspellings do not repeat for all coins. Perhaps a penny has a double date. It is not likely a quarter for that year would have one also.
Definitive Books
Some books address a single coin, such as the Morgan Dollar or Buffalo Nickel. Here you should expect a history of the Morgan Dollar or Buffalo Nickel, and details not normally given in a general coin book. Key and semi-key dates should be noted, and details such as a die chip for a key date should be provided. People often counterfeit key date coins, but the dies are never perfect. A small extra piece of metal, or a truncated denticle can be a telling clue if a rare coin is what it is being offered as.
Special books on coin types are necessary. How much detail each book has is another matter. Some may just give histories, others just fine details. But, if you collect a certain coin type, know as much as you can about it.
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