Customer Reviews

Encyclopedia of U.S Gold Coins 1795 - 1933 2nd Ed.

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Any coin collector enchanted by TRULY rare classic U.S. coins (i.e., coins where mere DOZENS of examples still exist!) would do himself a huge favor by acquiring this volume. Here is one book that more than replaces the groundbreaking multi-volume U.S. gold work of David Akers.

Believe it or not, there ARE still many bargains to be had in U.S. numismatics... and they reside in the U.S. gold series. Fact: Many U.S. gold coins dwarf in rarity the "keys" in any other U.S. series by 10X or even 100X.

Amazingly, today's prices (even with gold bullion way up) simply don't begin to reflect this incredible rarity.

Interested? Here's just the volume to guide you along the path to discovering all these hidden treasures.

Does it really get any better than GOLD? I don't think so. It (and silver) are the only metals historically and universally recognized as REAL money. But gold stands alone as the one metal not subject to hideously damaging long-term environmental contamination.

In its day and time, one gold coin might have represented an average working man's weekly or monthly wages. Accordingly, U.S. gold coins have historically been collected only by the super rich. But clearly this no longer need be the case. The rich collected ONLY the very top-grade examples available. These coins continue to be very expensive. Largely neglected, however, have been gold coins of lower grade (coins which would be perfectly acceptable specimens in any other U.S. series.) Bonus: In some cases, the gold content alone accounts for 30-50% of one's purchase price. So the value of your collection is meaningfully backed by gold itself.

We are fortunate to live in a day and time where these lower grade examples of incredibly rare U.S. gold coins are still available (albeit with considerable searching) at true bargain basement pricing -- a combination of rarity and pricing guaranteed to quicken a coin collector's pulse.

This all becomes clear in one glorious volume of amazing scope and breadth.

The price of this volume is likewise bargain-priced. Hundreds of beautiful full color photos on hundreds of pages -- all on glossy heavy paper stock. Paradoxically, the bargain nature of this book about classic Americana is likely due to its having been printed in CHINA. But I have to give credit where credit is due: There is absolutely nothing second-rate about this book's cosmetics or content.

My advice? Buy it as fast as your fingers can click on the order button!

Every now and then a real masterpiece of Numismatic research is created and made available to the public and the Encyclopedia of US Gold Coins: 1795-1933 is one of those masterpieces. As a professional coin dealer who specializes in better and rare dated gold coins I strongly suggest tha aquisition of this book as it will help the collector as well as investor of rare gold coins become more knowledgeable in the various series of US gold coins and there can never be too much information when researching this large and diverse area of coin collecting.

"Just Buy It, as at the asking price gosh it's just a total "No Brainer"... heck Buy Two!!!"

Having collected since I was a child, and being an avid reader my numismatic reference library is quite extensive. As the Ol'e Golden Rule of "Buy the Book First" definitely has always been key within this hobby.

If your interest is to cut your teeth on an unknown area to your prior collecting interests, maybe having just been bitten by the U.S. Gold bug? Well the price of admission on this Reference Guide is just outright stupid for all that you get! This is the one book that will steer you in the right/clear direction as a new, or even seasoned collector!

I purchased Jeff's book, not really knowing what to expect?

It just arrived yesterday, and I have never been so in awe over a book at first glance since buying Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of US and Colonial Coins close to 20 years ago.

I'm not sure how many years of their lives Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth have spent on this Encyclopedia, as it definitely looks like something that you'd have to completely devote 5 years minimum of your life to.

Just upon flipping through it upon arrival it is like no other book in this field I have ever seen.

Jeff and Ron like Emeril Lagasse have just really given the entire numismatic community some major "Bam" with their endeavor - Full color photography on each issue, history and facts, recommendations on which issues to purchase, past auction records, certification population, and the list goes on...

Jeff and Ron have taken the best of every other book ever written on this series and compiled it into one major bedside companion!

Even if the Retail Price was Double, I would still be just as ecstatic over the Encyclopedia of U.S. Gold Coins: 1795 - 1933, Circulating, Proof, Commemorative, and Pattern Issues
by Jeff Garrett.

This is not only the best book that I have purchased in 2006, but may actually be the best book I have acquired in the last decade.

WHOLE HEARTILY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

P.S. Jeff and Ron WELL DONE!!!

If what one is expecting is a well illustrated overview of all gold issues, together with superb documentation of each and every piece of information presented, this is an epitomy of outstanding presentation and scholarship.

On the other hand, if one would desire to know detailed facts about each particular date and mint issue, the die varieties and the like, there are alternatives in multiple volumes, from authors such as Doug Winter for the Southern Mints or Carson City, that certainly detail much more information about those aspects than a one volume book could hope to cover.

I suppose much has to do with one's expectations. This book met my expectations much in the way that my volume of Breen does. Often it is a starting point. The information provided by Breen is not that deeply detailed compared with the immense amount of literature that has been published since his leaving the scene, and the varieties he identified often are not wholly complete. Yet, I have never found that to detract in the least from my enjoyment of Breen as light reading or my ability to use that volume as a first stop when viewing a coin in a series in which I have a limited knowledge.

An excellent read for anyone even interested in U.S. Gold Coins. Unless you absolutely have to have the more recent pop. reports and auction results, save yourself some money and buy the 2006 edition. The photographs are spectacular! This book is a must for both the seasoned gold collector and for anyone even considering purchasing a vintage U.S. Gold Coin. The book lists the average quality that one can expect for each date/mint/type and this alone could save one from a costly mistake. The one thing that could make this the ultimate U.S. Gold book is if it had a detailed section on detecting counterfeits, which is something that should concern anyone when paying numismatic prices for gold in today's market. Highly recommended!

This is the first edition of a definitive study of *every* U.S. Gold Coin through 1933 (when circulating god was ended by FDR). This has all the information of the later edition at a fraction of the price. What's missing is a few new auction numbers, and updated market value; for me however, such data will be changing anyway, while the scholarly content stays the same. The photography is superb, and the knowledge base is deep.

This excellent,large coffee table type book lists every American Gold coin,proof,and pattern ever struck.Gives Population figures, mintages,beautiful pictures and the latest auction records and availability of all gold coins. No serious numismatist should be without this awesome reference book!!!!

This is a great book to have for anybody who collects U.S. gold coins! The authors go into specific details on every U.S. gold coin ever minted, telling you things that you otherwise would not have known had you not boughten this book.

I would give it a 10 but I can't!

If there was a book that was over hyped, this would be it. This book gives you nothing more than production amounts and supposed current values. There is nothing in this book that can't be found elsewhere. I was expecting an abundance of information on things to look for in a coin, similar in nature to Walter Breens works, die markings, die pairings. What I have gotten is a book that has some nice pictures....and thats it. Do yourself a favor and skip this book.