I have been catching up on coin related reading over the holiday break

Hi Friends, I have been catching up on coin related reading over the holiday break, more so than usual as the weather is too cold to productively fly fish for trout here in New Jerssey and I feel my time better spent gearing up for 2013 and my coin collecting goals.

In building the Somerville Set I relied heavily on aquiring as many related books and journals to help me in my purchases that have resulted in completed Indian Cent and Two Cent collections ( and hopefully informed purchases that will result in appropraite profits when the time comes to sell). I am currently focusing on Half Dimes, 3 Cent Silvers and related Patterns. Below is a listing of what is in my library, not including 1-numerous auction catalogs from Bowers, Stacks, Goldberg, Heritage, Scotsman, etc, and 2- related publications such as the Numismatic News and Longacre's Ledger.

INDIAN & FLYING EAGLE CENT RELATED

Flying Eagles & Indian Cents - Snow

Flying Eagles & Die Varieties - Snow

Buyers Guide Flying Eagles & Indian Cents - Bowers

Red Book - Flying Eagle & Indian Cents - Snow

Flying Eagle & Indian Cent Attribution Guides Volumes 1 & 2

OTHER SPECIALTY RELATED

Getting Your 2 Cents Worth- Flynn

Federal Half Dimes- Logan & McCloskey

US Patterns & Related - Pollack

Colonial & Early American Coins - Bowers

Guide to Barber Dimes - Lawrence

Guide to Barber Quarters - Lawrence

Red Book - US Type Coins - Bowers

US Copper Coins - Bowers

US Nickel 5 Cent Pieces - Wescott

20th Century US Gold - Akers

Red Book - Buffalo & Jefferson Nickels

Red Book - Washington & State Qtrs

GENERAL

Official ANA Grading Standards - Bressett & Kosoff

Buyers Guide Rare Coin Market - Bowers

Grading Coins Today - Bonser

Louis Eliasberg - King of Coins - Bowers

Official Red Book Guide to US Coins

American Treasures & Hoards - Bowers

Coins Grading & Counterfeit Detection - Travers

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You can see that the library focused on my main collecting interests supplemented by lots of general market knowledge. There are some specialty books for areas that I once collected but have sold ( Buffalo & Jeff Nickels for example) and others that I never was able to purchase but loved reading about ( Colonials & Early American Coinage).

All of this reading has helped develop my personal collecting philosophy and guidelines, which I can boil down to 1- Market knowledge is the key to success, 2- try to build a collection not an accumulation, and 3- practice good custodianship, as eventually someone else will own my coins for their enjoyment.

Thanks for reading, and happy collecting.

RichH

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