Book description
Can't make heads or tails out of coin collecting? You need
Coin Collecting For Dummies, 2nd Edition,
the treasure trove on information on numismatics. This hands-on guide
escorts you through the world's oldest hobby, helping you decide which
type of coins you want to collect, keep your collection in mint
condition, buy and sell coins on the Internet, find interesting coin
shows to attend, and assemble and diversify a great collection.
The
purpose of this fun, easy-to-access guide is to turn you into a
world-class coin collector in as little time as possible. You'll learn
what coins can teach you about history and geography, develop
organizational and observational skills, and learn to use analytical
tools, all without event thinking about it. And you'll learn the
basics about ancient coins, U. S. coins, world coins, and the
wild-and-wooly stuff that really gets your numismatic juices flowing.
Discover how to:
- Start your collection correctly
- Evaluate coins using age, condition, rarity, and more
- Buy interesting coins without breaking the bank
- Locate rare and expensive coins
- Get savvy about avoiding fakes
- Get the whole family involved in your collection
- Develop a buying strategy
- Clean and handle coins safely
- Keep your collection secure at home and on the road
- Investigate tokens, medals, and miscellaneous coins
- Create complete collections of copper, nickel, silver, or gold
U. S. coins
When it comes to numismatics, Coin Collecting For Dummies,
2nd Edition is right on the money!
Neil S. Berman: Neil S. Berman has been an expert
numismatist and professional rare coin dealer since 1968. Coming back
to the United States from Israel at the end of 1967, he apprenticed to
the world-renowned Dutch numismatist and coin auctioneer Hans M. F.
Schulman. He incorporated as Neil S. Berman, Inc., in 1968. In 1974,
Neil became an associate of Metropolitan Rare Coin Company of New
York. For the next several years, he represented Arthur and Donald
Kagin of Des Moines, Iowa, then the largest coin dealer in the
Midwest, as a purchasing agent. Later he represented Superior
Galleries under the Goldbergs, also as a purchasing agent. In 1979,
Neil, with his brother Jed, founded First Federal Coin Company, the
first East Coast coin company to sell rare coins into IRA, Keogh, and
pension plans. From 1983 until 1990, he was the purchasing agent for
Asset Services, Inc., the largest coin company serving the financial
community. Neil donated his large collection of German and Swiss
silver minor coins to the American Numismatic Society (ANS) in 1989.
In 1997, he received the American Numismatic Association (ANA) Service
Award from ANA President David Ganz. In 2005 and 2006, he was
associated again with Superior Galleries of Beverly Hills, this time
under the ownership of numismatist Silvano DiGenova.
Neil
catalogued the U. S. gold in the 1977 Kagin's ANA Coin Auction Sale,
the first New York coin auction sale in 1981 of Spink and Sons,
England's oldest and largest coin dealer, and a coin auction sale by
Superior Rare Coin Galleries of Beverly Hills in 2006.
Neil has
been published in Barron's, Trusts & Estates, The National Law
Journal, The Financial Planner, Pensions World, and Executive
Jeweler. In 1987, he wrote, with Hans Schulman, The Investor's
Guide to United States Coins, which sold 40,000 copies and
received a Numismatic Literary Guild award for Best Investment Book.
In 2007, he wrote the second edition of the book with Silvano
DiGenova. Neil has just completed a book on rare coin auctions.
Ron Guth: Ron Guth is a jack-of-all-trades and master of one -
numismatics. Ron is a certified public accountant (CPA), a licensed
auctioneer, and a writer, but the bulk of his time is spent on his
true love - coin collecting and dealing. Ron's battle with coin fever
began when he was 12 years old, and he's never gotten over it. After a
decade of collecting, Ron went professional in 1976, when he began
working for a local coin shop in Tampa, Florida. In 1978, he partnered
with David Goldsmith and purchased the Bay Area Coin Exchange in
Tampa. Ron and Dave blasted through the silver boom, and then split up
in 1981, when Ron moved to Evansville, Indiana (his wife's hometown),
where he set up shop on First Avenue. In 1984, Ron formed Mid-American
Rare Coin Auctions with Jeff Garrett of Lexington, Kentucky. The
company quickly established itself as an innovative leader in the
industry and, within the first year, became the fifth largest rare
coin auction company in America. In 1988, Ron sold his interest in the
company, went back to school to finish his bachelor's degree in
accounting and finance, and has since become a numismatic consultant
and a major dealer in German coins.
In 1984, Ron won the American
Numismatic Association's Wayte and Olga Raymond and Heath Literary
awards. He has written many coin-related articles and is listed as a
contributor to several books, including Walter Breen's Encyclopedia
of United States Coins, Krause Publications's Standard
Catalog of German Coins, Roger S. Cohen's American Half
Cents, Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of United States Half Cents,
and others. Ron has served as a numismatic consultant for many
rare-coin companies, including major firms such as the Professional
Coin Grading Services, Heritage Numismatic Auctions, and Early
American History Auctions.
