Coin Books - The Official Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection Edition #2 (Official Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection)

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Binding: Paperback Dewey Decimal Number: 737.4 EAN: 9780375720505 ISBN: 0375720502 Label: House of Collectibles Manufacturer: House of Collectibles Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 432 Publication Date: 2004-03-09 Publisher: House of Collectibles Release Date: 2004-03-09 Studio: House of Collectibles
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Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: Very informative. Comment: This book has a ton of useful information about coin grading and collecting in general. The grading pictures, however, are not terrific. But it still is a good and worthwhile book. The photos displaying conterfeit coins are close to useless but the book is still a pretty valuable addition for an amateur collector. Customer Rating: Summary: Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection Comment: I found this book hard to put down. Very Good.... Customer Rating: Summary: Precision Coin Grading Comment: The 2nd Edition of "PCGS Coin Grading" is an excellent reference. It is critical and required reading for beginning and advanced coin collectors. As I am the author of 7 coin books since 1977, I appreciate the difficulty of attempting to explain the subtle and challenging differences between "a few minor marks in the main focal area" (MS65 grading standards, page 28) and "a few minor marks or one or two significant marks with hairlines" (MS64 grading standards, same page). As a complete reference to the condition (grade) of all U.S. coins, this book does an excellent job. However, as noted on page 7, with reference to the 11 grades of Mint State coins (MS60 to MS70): "It would be desirable to have more space for them on the grading spectrum to reflect their degrees of difference more precisely." This is why I am now writing a new book about Precision Coin Grading that will supplement the PCGS Coin Grading guide by explaining how to determine the "decimal point grade" of your coins. (MS64.5, MS65.8, MS66.3, etc.) In today's market, there can often be a price difference of hundreds or even thousands of dollars between a "just made it MS65" and a "just missed MS66." (MS65.1 vs. MS65.9.) Whether you are buying or selling coins for personal enjoyment or investment, collectors need to know whether they should consider upgrading a coin of "the same grade" (like snowflakes, no two MS65 coins are absolutely identical.) You also need to know if you have a "high end" or "PQ" (premium quality) specimen of a numerically grade coin, from Carson City Silver Dollars to U.S. Commems to St. Gaudens Double Eagles. Rare coin expert Jim Halperin has also attempted to address this issue. I've known both Jim and David Hall since the 1970's. Both are brilliant numismatists who have made valuable contributions to the hobby. Coin grading will always be an art as well as a science, and the 5 critical grading factors (surface, strike, color, marks and eye appeal) may never be determined by a computer, as my good friend Jim suggests. In the meanwhile, the more you know, and the more you learn, the better. As a tool to educate collectors about coin grading, The PCGS Coin Grading guide should really have better photos. Fortunately, many such photos are available on the websites of both PCGS and Heritage. If you don't own this great coin book, and you plan to spend more than $100 on coin collecting in your lifetime, buy this book immediately! Customer Rating: Summary: A Lot of Information in One Place Comment: You know what they say: "buy the book before you buy the coin." I bought a few dollars on ebay before I got this book. After reading the book and testing my grading skills for a bit, I know that I overbid for what was offered. No big loss, but you don't have to make the same mistake. Learn the rudiments of grading first, then (if you so desire) bid on raw coins. Customer Rating: Summary: Pictures Comment: This book is pretty good except that it is in desparate need of more pictures. It completely leaves out the Morgan Dollar, probably the most widely collected of all US coins. Also, it is a 2004 Edition, so the prices are not up to date. It is better when combined with another source book like the 2006 Official Black Book.
Editorial Reviews: THE GUIDE THAT EXPLAINS, ILUSTRATES, AND SETS THE STANDARD FOR GRADING UNITED STATES COINS The world's largest and most prestigious coin grading organization has created an amazing, one-of-a-kind guide that reveals its grading and authentication secrets. From the introduction: "By furnishing a simple yet detailed guide to grading coins, PCGS has made it easy to understand the number that appears on a grading holder. Reading this book will make you an expert." – Jay W. Johnson, Former Director, United States Mint This book illustrates and explains with precise descriptions and digital images how you can determine the exact condition of a coin. Here is a coin grading volume so complete that—like its author, PCGS—it indeed sets the standard for grading coins. Inside this illustrated guide you will find: • The standards for grading all United States coins, including precise definitions of Mint State and circulated grades • An all-new section on how to grade America's 50-State quarters • The fundamentals of counterfeit detection • The secrets of handling and storing your collection • State-of-the-art techniques used to recognize 'doctored' coins • Over 600 detailed illustrations This detailed guide is the only book on the market that encompases so many facets of coin grading and counterfeit detection.