NEW BOOK: THE AUTHORITATIVE REFERENCE ON THREE CENT SILVER COINS

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V13 2010 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 13, Number 25, June 20, 2010, Article 5

Back in May Kevin Flynn announced an upcoming book on the U.S. Three Cent silver coin. James Higby noticed that the book was now available. Thanks! He writes: "I have been very anxious for something like this to appear, as the last scholarship on the topic was done by Breen in the 1970s and 1980s."

I wrote to Kevin, and he provided the following information. -Editor

The book titled �The Authoritative Reference on Three Cent Silver Coins� by Kevin Flynn and Winston Zack is now available. This book is 197 pages, 8 � by 11, and many photographs. This book will only be printed in soft cover. Price is $44.95. Include $5 for shipping media rate, $10 for first class. We will only be printing about 250 copies.

Up to now, there has been no book just on this series. The primary purpose of this book was to create a complete and comprehensive reference for the Three cent silver series including all major die varieties, history, hub changes, collecting, historical documents, and hot topic such as the early proofs and an analysis of each of the overdates which were listed for this series.

The die variety section of the book includes a complete listing of the known doubled dies, repunched dates and RPMs, including several new die varieties which have not been listed before. For each die variety listed, detailed macro photos make identification much easier. Most of the varieties include multiple photographs showing different details. Included also for each variety is a detailed description of the variety, diagnostics, including die markers such as die cracks, scratches, clashes which can make identifying the variety easier, pricing, and cross references.

Many new archive letters were uncovered relative to the Three cent silver series and are included. This greatly helped in the analysis of the history section and shed new details on the series. For each hub change, enlarged photos show the before and after of the design changes with a detailed description of the differences A section on Three cent silver coins is also included with a detailed descriptions for each grade.

This book also contains three sections written by Jonathan Lerner, one of the foremost experts on the series.

The Three cent silver counterfeit section contains a complete analysis and many examples of counterfeits found in this series. The Three cent silver patter section contains a complete analysis of all patterns of this series

The date-by-date section offers an analysis of each date including scarcity, striking characteristics, world history which occurred that year, hot topics, comments, current values, prices realized from Heritage Auctions, and the certified population counts from PCGS and NGC. Many years also include the number of working dies struck for that year. For the early years, 1851 through 1857, the estimated number of proof coins is included.

Sections are included which cover collecting Three cent silver coins, certified Three cent silver coins, and cleaned Three cent silver coins. Two cool Three cent silver errors are included.

The Hot Topics section contains a several detailed studies on the Three cent silver series including an analysis of early Three cent silver proofs, the 1858 Three cent silver design changes, and the declining mintages of the Three cent silver series. A complete analysis is done on each of the overdates which were listed in the Three cent silver series, refuting each of them.

Price is $44.95, include $5 for postage for media mail, $10 for priority mail. To order a copy, send a check or money order to Kevin Flynn, P.O. Box 396, Lumberton, NJ 08048. For any questions, please send to kevinj50@comcast.net

Wayne Homren, Editor