SCOTT HOPKINS ON HOW TO BUILD A NUMISMATIC LIBRARY

What makes a great numismatic library? How many books do you need to learn about coins and be a great numismatist? My numismatic library contains hundreds of titles. Some collectors have thousands of books, magazines, auction catalogs, and price lists in their libraries. Most casual coin collectors just have a handful of basic books.

Whether you are casual coin collector or seeking to be an expert, this is your guide to building a proper numismatic library. The goal is to tailor it for your needs as well as your expected needs as your collection grows.

We all started somewhere, with that one book. For many of us it was the Redbook or one of the many thick and heavy books produced by Krause Publications to teach us about coins and banknotes of the world. These books were enough to whet our palate, but sure enough there came a day in which we began to specialize on a topic, or even branch into a topic not covered in the typical books such as: tokens, medals, or exonumia. Some of us were just so fascinated by numismatics that we began amassing everything on the topic. Bibliomania meets numismatics.

Is one book really enough? If you are just a casual collector then one book might be enough. However, if you are going to be investing a lot of time and money in coins, developing a particular fascination with a country, series, or theme you would be best to add much more to your library.

One reason that one book is not enough is that it is written to a particular reader from a particular source(s). The desired reading audience may not match your reading style; too broad or too in depth versus too casual or too academic. So too the authors voice may not fit your particular style.

Another important reason relates to the information available to that author at that time. Two authors writing on the exact same topic at the exact same time will have different references as a result of their access to the information they’re writing about.

One example I can think of from my own experience in writing a catalog on food stamp change tokens is the ability to have access to major collections. Most collectors have been appreciative and contributing to the project. Still, a fair number would prefer not to contribute their research or share photos of examples in their collections. Some of the collectors I have secured permission from may not allow permission to a different author and vice versa.

Numismatic books are constantly updated with new information that was previously unavailable to the previous generation. Thus books in their second and third editions are often dramatically different than that first edition. Does that make the first edition obsolete?

Historic numismatic books (and those who have been significantly updated) are important because they frame the history of the hobby and where we’ve come, with a glimpse at where we are going. Serious numismatists use them to make discoveries on long hidden or misunderstood topics like the fascinating topic of die engravers. Many investors use them to track the value of a particular coin and seek to chart where it might be heading. Personally, I use certain early editions to track the understanding of rarity for a given variety.

To read the complete article, see:
How to Build a Numismatic Library that Provides Joy for a Lifetime (http://scottmhopkins.com/how-to-build-a-numismatic-library/)

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