The E-Sylum:  Volume 10, Number 6, February 11, 2007, Article 5

REVIEW: BOWERS' BUYER'S GUIDE TO SILVER DOLLARS & TRADE DOLLARS

Last year (2006) Zyrus Press published the third edition of Q. David
Bowers' "A Buyer's Guide to Silver Dollars and Trade Dollars of the
United States." John Dannreuther edited this edition, fully updating
pricing, mintage figures, population and photos.  The editor and
publisher did a great deal of legwork to obtain over 200 color images
(one for nearly every coin) from a number of different sources, all
credited in the book.  Also new is a chapter on Sacagawea dollars.
The book is available from the publisher at $19.95.

The "Buyer's Guide" series includes titles on the "Rare Coin Market"
and "United States Gold Coins."   Like the newer Bowers "Red Book"
series from Whitman, these "Buyer's Guides" are useful one-volume
reference works handy to carry to coin shows.

As the author correctly notes in his introduction, this 6x9 416-page
paperback is quite modest, particularly compared to his mammoth 1993
2,000+ page two-volume encyclopedia on the topic.  While not covering
the topic in depth, the book does offer a very readable overview of
the subject suitable for beginners and serious collectors alike.

While my favorite parts are the short narratives opening each section,
the meat of the book is in the coin-by-coin summaries enumerating key
facts such as mintage, estimates of quantities melted, estimate
surviving population, striking characteristics, known hoards and
"collecting commentary" - notes on the relative availability of the
coin in numismatic channels.

The book is a very sweeping treatment of the subject, beginning with
the 1794 Flowing Hair Dollars, covering the famous 1804 dollars in a
separate chapter, then advancing forward in time through to the Susan
B. Anthony and Sacagawea dollars.  The final chapters cover Trade
Dollars and the bullion silver "eagle" dollars.  While it's unlikely
that any one collector would have an interest in so many diverse coins,
it's interesting to see them together between the covers of one book.
A type collection of U.S. dollars would make for an interesting coin
show exhibit.

For more information, see the Zyrus Press web site at: More Information

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

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