2nd Edition. This comprehensive 288-page full-color book details how to begin the ideal numismatic pursuit: a collection of United States coins by type. Major updates to the 2nd edition are new market values, new certified-coin population data, updated Market Price Performance charts, new coins, new section on Great Collectors and Collections of the Past, new historical illustrations, updated auction records and a bullion-value chart. Whether you decide to collect from the beginning of United States coins in the late 1700s, or if you choose coins from the 1800s and 1900s, this book will provide you the reference tools you need: mintages, grades, collecting tips, prices, and more, all in one essential historical reference and price guide. Author Q. David Bowers...

This hardcover book is a comprehensive insider's look at not only rare coins, but also tokens, medals, and paper money. At 34 chapters and nearly 700 pages, it covers everything from grading to determining values to techniques of smart auction bidding. More than 1,300 photographs and illustrations, both black and white and in full-color galleries, complement the text, showing the people, places, and coins described. Bowers' engaging case studies, strategies, and insider tips make the book an invaluable "how to" for today's marketplace. Chapters are devoted to copper, nickel, silver, and gold coins; dynamics of the coin market; fads, trends, cycles, and predictions; conserving and protecting your collection; how to be a smart seller; and more....