The E-Sylum:  Volume 10, Number 1, January 7, 2007, Article 11

BREEN'S COMPLETE COURSE IN NUMISMATICS

David F. Fanning writes: "Jeff Reichenberger asked about Walter Breen's
"Complete Course in Numismatics" in the last issue of the E-Sylum. Here
is the entry for it from my annotated bibliography of Breen's published
numismatic works from the Summer 2004 issue of "The Asylum":

"'A Complete Course in Numismatics (Beverly Hills: American Institute
of Professional Numismatics, n.d. [c. 1970]), 21.5 by 28 cm, (1), 70
pages. Blue heavy paper cover, staple bound.

"Apparently a promotional educational text published by the American
Institute of Professional Numismatics. The text deals primarily with
how to grade coins, and may be the most extensive treatment of coin
grading by Breen. A copy described as being spiral-bound sold as lot
414 in Remy Bourne's October 6-7, 2000 auction for $98.

"The present compiler's copy has a duplicate page 10, but I do not know
if this appears in every copy. A final exam takes up the last four pages
and is to be filled out and sent in to the publishers, who would send
those who passed a certificate stating that they passed (see Breen's
The Minting Process for a similar test). Scarce.

"'The Institute of Professional Numismatics was an organization with
which both Breen and Ronald Gillio were involved. The other publication
I mention in this entry, Breen's "The Minting Process," is a superior
publication, and perhaps Breen's best work on that particular subject
(much more detailed than the more commonly-available "Dies and Coinage").
Both "The Minting Process" and the "Complete Course in Numismatics"
are tough to find, but not genuinely rare. They can bring $50-$75 if
both buyer and seller know what's being offered.'"

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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