The Expert’s Guide to Collecting and Investing in Rare Coins
by Q David Bowers
The Expert’s Guide to Collecting and Investing in Rare
Coins is an enormous book. It contains over 600 pages full
of information on coin collecting. The title is somewhat
deceiving though in my opinion. I would not call it an
investment book at all but rather a complete overview of
almost any type of numismatic material made in the United
States.
The book certainly does cover investing in rare coins as an investment. The
book contains a whopping 34 chapters and the first 15 are devoted to investing
or determining the value of rare coins. Within those chapters, there are
discussions regarding the common basics of coin investing such as
quality/grading, rarity, and demand. As with any commodity or collectible, if
there is no demand there is no price appreciation. The best example of that is
the 1909 S VDB Lincoln Cent. There are more of these coins available than many
other rare coins from 20 to 30 years prior but the 1909 S VDB commands a much
higher price because of the shear number of people who want that coin.
The next several chapters (chapters 16 through 30) are devoted to each
different collectible type. For example there is a chapter on copper coins, a
chapter on nickels, a chapter on silver coins, and a chapter on gold coins and
so on. These chapters provide a very brief overview of each coin type. If you
want to more detail of let’s say the Buffalo Nickel, then you would want to
spend the money on a book specific about Buffalo Nickels and fortunately, there
are a few on the market. The same holds true for many other series such as
Lincoln Cents, Shield Nickels, Mercury Dimes, and so on.
There are also chapters devoted to lesser known collectables. There is a
chapter on proof coins, a chapter on colonial coins, a chapter on pattern coins,
a chapter on commemoratives, a chapter on tokens, and more. Each of these
chapters gives an overview of each particular item. There is even a chapter
devoted to collecting Confederate paper money.
While these chapters are quite diverse, they offer a wealth of information
that many collectors may not know. It is written in a manner that is very easy
to follow and enjoyable to read.
Chapter 31 is devoted to developing your own personal numismatic library. If
you are a series collector, it is not unheard of to spend hundreds, if not
thousands of dollars on numismatic material. The old adage of buy the book first
is true.
Chapter 32 delves into the world of coin cleaning and protecting your coins.
Of course the best advice when it comes to cleaning coins is DO NOT DO IT. With
that notion, the book discussed the various ways coins are cleaned. It also
provides an overview of how to store and protect your coins.
I personally did not get this book for the advice on investing in rare coins,
rather because I am more of a collector than an investor. Certainly we all want
our collections to grow in value, but I read this book just because of the shear
volume of general numismatic material. It is chocked full of information that
for the beginning collector is priceless. It could certainly guide a beginning
collector down the path of determining what he/she might have in interesting in
collecting to become a true collector rather than a hoarder.
I highly recommend this book
Keith Scott has been a collector for over 30 years. His website has
US coins for sale. He also writes
Coin Collecting Articles for fun. Visit his websites for a history of US coins,
metal market updates and news about your favorite coins.
Check out other Coin Book Reviews.
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