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BOOK REVIEW: STATE & FEDERAL COPPER AND BRASS COINAGE OF MEXICO, 1824–1872 Dennis Tucker submitted this review of State & Federal Copper and Brass Coinage of Mexico, 1824–1872 by Don Bailey. -Editor  A collector of 19th-century United States coinage will find much to contemplate in State & Federal Copper and Brass Coinage of Mexico, 1824–1872. While the book is clearly geared toward the active collector of Mexican coins, the little monedas themselves are reminiscent of—and in many ways connected to—further-north North American monetary fare. The connection starts on the front cover, from which a familiar personality beckons: Is that Thomas Sully’s Seated Liberty? No, it’s her Spanish-American cousin.Author Don Bailey is well known in Mexican circles not only as a leading coin dealer, but also as a longtime numismatic researcher; his first article was published in 1967. Members of the American Numismatic Association will recognize him as the coauthor (with Joe Flores) of the award-winning ¡Viva la Revolucion! The Money of the Mexican Revolution (2006 Best Specialized Museum and Exhibition Catalog, Numismatic Literary Guild), with illustrations from the ANA Money Museum. He is a contributor to many trends columns and standard references (including those of Grove, Buttrey, and Hubbard). In 2001 he was awarded Mexico’s Order of the Aztec Eagle, the nation’s highest decoration for non-citizens, for his contributions to Mexican numismatics. State & Federal Coinage builds on the foundation of Frank Grove’s Coins of Mexico, whose copyright Bailey owns. It expands on the various series covered by Grove, incorporating groundbreaking research into date-by-date studies, overdates, counterstamps, errors, circulating counterfeits, and major varieties. It is with some modesty that the preface describes Bailey’s work as “a stepping stone to the complete analysis” of the coins covered. The catalog lists the coinages of Mexico’s states in alphabetical order, starting with Chihuahua (1833–1866) and ending with Zacatecas (1825–1864). Coins of the federal Mexico City Mint are cataloged last. The new “DB” numbering system is flexible enough for expansion, anticipating new discoveries as research continues. (A convenient cross-reference to the KM system is included in an appendix.) Bailey has been diligent in his cataloging, identifying coins that are rumored to exist in other references, but which he and his well-credentialed team of research associates (including Flores, Clyde Hubbard, Kent Ponterio, Holland Wallace, and a dozen other experts) have not verified. “Existence of a listing in sales catalogs, especially in lower grades, does not necessarily satisfy proof of existence,” he notes. The book’s introduction is an overview of why and how Mexico’s state coinage came into being. When the U.S. Mint was in its 30th year, Spain’s former colony was only in the infancy of its independence. Bailey skillfully covers the politics, legislation, financial situations, copper and silver mining, and other factors that shaped the nation’s “state and federal coppers,” as collectors know them today. His coverage is reminiscent of the front-of-the-book essays in the Guide Book of United States Coins (the “Red Book”)—an excellent introduction to these series. ach state gets its own background text, followed by a catalog of its coinage, with type descriptions and pricing in up to five grades (Good to Extremely Fine). A “Notes” section for each state further expands on its issues, with helpful information and substantial real-world market advice for the collector. The coins are shown at actual size and enlarged (in clear, black-and-white photographs), with close-up photos of edges, errors, and important characteristics. To read an earlier E-Sylum article, see: NEW BOOK: STATE & FEDERAL COPPER AND BRASS COINAGE OF MEXICO (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v12n02a05.html) To order the book, see: Lois & Don Bailey Numismatic Services (http://donbailey-mexico.com/) Wayne Homren, Editor The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org. To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All Rights Reserved. NBS Home Page Contact the NBS webmaster 
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