At the 2007 American Numismatic Association Convention, NBS President John Adams proposed a NBS survey of the greatest United States numismatic literature. A candidate list of approximately four hundred items was published in the Fall, 2007 Asylum. Readers were invited to suggest additional candidates, these were added and a final ballot was distributed to the membership. Sixty ballots were returned by NBS members, numbering the top one hundred items from one (highest) to one hundred.

1. Breen, Walter (1988) Walter Breen’s Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins

Revered and reviled, Breen’s magnum opus remains the first reference of choice for American numismatists. Although justifiably maligned for technical faults and lack of supporting documentation, Breen’s breadth is staggering. Nowhere else is so much information packed into a single volume. Pre-federal, federal, territorial, commemorative, it is all here. Allowed only one book in an American numismatic library, this would be the expected choice. With copies on the secondary market selling for hundreds of dollars and no competitors in sight, this reference will endure as the standard comprehensive guide for the foreseeable future.

2. Crosby, Sylvester S. (1875) The Early Coins of America

If Breen is one bookend of American numismatics, Crosby is surely the other. In 1875, Crosby had not even the use of a telephone to aid his research. On the other hand, he had access to the great collectors and collections of yore, among them Bushnell, Stickney, Parmelee, Appleton, Maris and others, all giants on the 19th century American numismatic scene. Crosby’s dive into the primary source documentation surrounding colonial issues is beyond remarkable, particularly in light of the lack of modern bibliographic resources. Coupled with his observant technical eye and capable cataloguing, this work is properly described by Davis as “the masterpiece of nineteenth century numismatic literature.”

28. Burdette, Roger (2006–07) Renaissance of American Coinage (vols. 1–3)

Burdette’s three volume masterpiece, exploring coinage designs introduced between 1905 and 1921, is instantly the standard reference on the subject. Here is the definitive word on experimental St. Gaudens’ pieces, proof Peace dollars, and the exposed breast on the Standing Liberty 1916 quarter, to name only a few. Meticulously researched from archival records and thoroughly documented, Burdette’s legacy may actually exceed the work itself if even a few new writers aspire to his methodology. Burdette utilizes to great advantage both traditional and electronic resources and is completely transparent in his presentation. The present writer recently uncovered what was surely new and interesting information, only to find the subject already well treated in Burdette – an experience we expect to occur repeatedly in the future.