[SilverAge3] It's really a wonderful book. Besides the Dalton & Hamer bible, there is one other book I think is also tops and I can't do without it, Jon Lusk's "British/Irish Tradesman Copper 1857-1804 Tokens" another stellar Conder token book, I also use the older R.C. Bell books, but Jon's book is so much more updated. Expensive also but well worth it, as it has mintage, designer and die sinker information, along with updated rarity and population estimates. Consider adding both down the road.

[westcoin] are there any price guides or lists of the most rare / sought after?

[FriendlyEagle7] All the price guides I'm aware of are old, except the Token Book 17th, 18th & 19th Century Tokens and their values by Paul & Bente R. Withers - Galata. A reprint of the guide to the British token series. 500+ pages. Includes color photographs of many of the token dies with a general price guide. Hard to find in the USA, all the dealers I'm aware of, that carry it, are currently sold out. Here is a link to the author's page in the UK: https://www.galata.co.uk/galata-publications-1/the-token-book-17th-18th-19th-century-british-tokens-and-their-values I've found an easy way to make payments in the UK with WISE, I keep some money in GBP account for purchasing books and tokens/coins in the UK and save a lot on fees over my bank or Paypal. Trouble is shipping is no longer inexpensive due to weight and size. I just sent a single token valued at 100 GPB from the USA to the UK and even using my discounted shipping plans, that envelope cost almost $30 USD! A few years ago it would have cost under $10. The last book I purchased from the UK was with Douglas Saville - an auction catalog and it was $50 in shipping costs and almost $80 due to the conversion rates, basically double the price.

[westcoin] That would be great. My library is always expanding. I think I have easily spent a few hundred on books and some are used.

[brianpk] I still remember the first time I spent over $100 on a single book, Heck the Walter Breen Encyclopedia I got in High School was only $75.00 back when it came out. My 1st big book purchase was for $180.00 and it was a custom bound set of early Asylum issues. I wasn't even a member of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society yet, and I spent almost $200 on their early journals? I wasn't sure but knew I could always sell it for about the same if I didn't like it. Now I have completed a collection of the rest of the issues through current, joined the club and spent thousands on books, guess I fell into that hole and never crawled out. I still haven't hit the $1000 expenditure mark on a book - yet, but when I do, it will likely be an original Crosby edition.

[westcoin] Very nice. Im only about 2 years into collecting and the majority of my books are Whitman and mostly from the Bowers series. The most expensive book I have so far is the Breen Gillio California Pioneer Fractional Gold book. Its almost mint which makes me afraid to use it. It ran me a couple hundred bucks. As far as colonial books go, I only have the Whitman Encyclopedia of Colonial and Early American Coins. I think my next stop are the Syd Martin books you mentioned above. I think I have 1 or 2 coins from his collection that are plate coins in the books. I need to learn more about them and see them in print as well as in hand.

[brianpk] The Syd Martin series are really in depth books, not for an average read, but they are the best in their class for each series, bar none. Keep an eye on Charles Davis he occasionally posts a cheap one on eBay. He has also sold unbound copies in the past that went for around $40. https://www.ebay.com/usr/numislit The Bowers Whitman books are all great and his Colonial Encyclopedia is an excellent all around reference for the colonial and pre federal issues. You can also get many of Dave's older books for free on the NNP here are 32 of them: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/booksbyauthor/301 I think I have all of those in print myself. My favorites are "Adventures in rare coins" which I got directly from him at the ANA summer seminar, I attended on a scholarship as a YN while in high school. Dave also gave each of us a copy of the "History of US coinage as illustrated by the Garrett Collection". My second favorite all around coin book. You should also read Sylvester Crosby's book "The Early Coins of America" https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/booksbyauthor/517 There you go some of the best written numismatic references and all for free! That should hold you for a few months of reading without costing you anything but time and a little hard drive space. 😎

[westcoin] Talk about a source of knowledge on where to get reference material. Free at that. I spent most of my coin money for the year already. haha. Now to spend the rest of the year reading, learning and saving for next year. Thank you for all the info. I appreciate it and will put it to good use. Now to start sticking my colonial coins in My Inventory here. I wont be winning any registry awards but they are now in my care and have me reading and digging into more history.

[Numisma] interesting, sad Baldwin's isn't noting mark, wipes, or other problems.