E-Book Overview
In 1946, a slim but fact-filled book hit the hobby scene: R.S. Yeoman’s Guide Book of United States Coins. This April, Whitman Publishing will release the 60th Anniversary edition of this beloved, best-selling hobby guide, known everywhere as the “Red Book.” The Red Book prices more than 6,000 coins, with nearly 30,000 individual values. Of course this comprehensive pricing isn’t the only reason collectors have made the Red Book one of the top-selling nonfiction titles in publishing history. A solid foundation and 60 years of numismatic scholarship have built what many collectors call “the Bible of the hobby” –a single resource that teaches a little of everything about American coins; a reference jam-packed with facts and figures that researchers go back to time and time again. More than 700 new full-color photographs, updated mintages and coin values, new auction records, additional pattern pieces, expanded coverage of Civil War tokens, and the latest commemoratives, sets, and other coins. Full color throughout; illustrated; 417 pages, edited by Kenneth Bressett.
E-Book Content
WELCOME TO NUMISMATICS INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION WELCOME TO NUMISMATICS perity, and creativity of every major nation on earth. We are but the custodians of these historical relics; we must appreciate and care for them while they are in our possession. Those who treat rare coins with the consideration and respect they deserve will profit in many ways, not the least of which can be in the form of a sound financial return on one's investment of time and money. CHECKING YOUR COINS FOR AUTHENTICITY Coin collectors occasionally encounter counterfeit coins, or coins that have been altered or changed so that they appear to be something other than what they really are. Any coin that does not seem to fit the description of similar pieces listed in this guide book should be looked upon with suspicion. Experienced coin dealers can usually tell quickly whether a coin is genuine, and would never knowingly sell spurious coins to a collector. Coins found in circulation or bought from a nonprofessional source should be examined carefully. The risk of purchasing a spurious coin can be minimized through the use of common sense and an elementary knowledge of the techniques used by counterfeiters. It is well to keep in mind that the more popular a coin is among collectors and the public, the more likely it is that counterfeits and replicas will abound. Generally, collector coins valued at under $100 are rarely replicated because of the high cost of making such items. The same is true of counterfeits that are made to deceive the public. In modern times, few counterfeit coins have been made because it is more profitable for the fakers to print paper money. Replicas Reproductions of famous and historical coins have been distributed for decades by marketing firms and souvenir vendors. These pieces are often tucked away by the original recipients as curios, and later are found in old furniture by others who believe they have discovered objects of great value. Most replicas are poorly made by the casting method, and are virtually worthless. They can sometimes be identified by a seam that runs around the edge of the piece where the two halves of the casting mold were joined together. Genuine specimens of extremely rare or valuable coins are almost never found in unlikely places. Counterfeits For many centuries, counterfeiters have produced base-metal forgeries of gold and silver coins to deceive the public in the normal course of trade. These pieces are usually crudely made and easily detected on close examination. Crudely cast counterfeit copies of older coins are the most prevalent. These can usually be detected by the casting bubbles or pimples that can be seen with low-power magnification. Pieces struck from handmade