FINDING RARE NUMISMATIC LITERATURE ONLINE

PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE FULL ISSUE PREV FULL ISSUE

V24 2021 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 24, Number 10, March 7, 2021, Article 16

Sylvia Nankivell of Used Book Search submitted this article on finding rare numismatic literature online. Thanks. -Editor

A numismatic history is the history of the world. For centuries people have relied on all that glitters for financial transactions. Coins fuelled global economies for a long time. Meanwhile, the highest honours in the land are bestowed in the shape of shiny medals.

Spanning the globe and encompassing numerous cultures and situations, this is not a subject for the casual reader. Though everyone's got to start somewhere!

There's no shortage of information or resources for numismatists to use when building their collections. Whether you're beginning the journey or looking to take in some new sights, guidance is always welcome.

The right text can give a comprehensive insight into your chosen area. Finding that text on the other hand can prove a serious challenge. Which is where our selection of handy tips comes in...

MAJOR OUTLETS
Many of you reading this may have your trusted sources, viewing the likes of Amazon as an easy pick. Nevertheless, the bigger sites are a great place to start.

Spend some time. What this type of site can offer is a broad cross section of numismatic books. A totally random selection posted by whoever's selling at the time.

It's probably not the best option for a particular branch of info, particularly if that branch is under the radar. Still, you never know. Be as specific as possible in the search bar and you never know what you might find.

Another very basic tip is to narrow your search down in terms of price and postage costs. This is something that is done by anyone who shops around online, for currency or not.

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
Numismatics is something that's enjoyed as a hobby, but it's also a richly detailed world. The humble coin isn't just a method of exchange, but a tiny piece of history.

Once you start, you can't stop. Collections begin which grow and grow. And there's only so much you can get out of Amazon, eBay and the like.

What you need are of course specialist dealers - Those who know their denarii from their drachmas. You're more likely to get this level of knowledge from a specific source.

A wide range of places are available online with just a couple of clicks. All more than aware of what you're looking for and, most importantly, what the price is.

You need to read up about numismatics so you can get clued up on what is arguably the planet's priciest topic. Unsurprisingly, money doesn't come cheap.

And medals are often worth more than the materials they're made from, for obvious reasons. The more personal the item the higher the cost is likely to be.

SECOND HAND SPENDS

The expensive nature of numismatics is off-putting to those of limited means. However, it doesn't mean you can't get involved if funds are low.

Reading is cheaper than buying. Sure, having a beautiful coin or medal collection taking pride of place in your home is a sight to treasure. But a picture in a book can also paint a thousand words.

Also, while sites offer new and used books, focusing on second hand stuff works out cheapest in the end. An online trip to a charity shop can show you that.

Oxfam is just one location where a surprisingly varied range of texts can be found. As with Amazon, these cover a lot of ground but coins and medals might be one of them.

Add to this the large number of second hand bookstores increasingly reliant on online sales, and there's really no excuse to avoid used volumes. Like coins, books have changed more than a few hands over the years.

COMPREHENSIVE SEARCH
To zero in on a particular type of book, or a certain title and author, you can't do without a decent search engine. Many sites have them, and they're worth their weight in gold.

But there's more. A really good site gives you the option of using keywords to whittle down your final picks. As well as the ability to search by name and ISBN number.

A LOVE OF BOOKS
This short guide shows you not only how to search for numismatic material. Getting into the habit of shopping for specialist books opens up horizons.

Building a book collection is very rewarding. A shelf full of volumes would look great alongside those coins and medals in their cases.

So after looking into the fine art of numismatics, why not spend some on a variety of texts...?

I tried it and sometimes found it difficult to locate books I thought would be easy to find. But the site's availability and pricing data seems valuable. Here's the result of one random pick. -Editor