A Useful Library on Early Copper Coins
Ideally, every enthusiastic collector of half cents and large cents should have a working library to keep up to date on new discoveries, prices, and the like. Adding to the enjoyment can be out-of-print works, many of which can be obtained from dealers in numismatic books or on the Internet and provide information on numismatics of years ago. Here are some of our favorites:
Adams, John W. United States Numismatic Literature. Volume I. Nineteenth Century Auction Catalogs. George Frederick Kolbe Publications, 1982.
—— United States Numismatic Literature. Volume II. Twentieth Century Auction Catalogues. Crestline, CA: George Frederick Kolbe Publications, 1990.
Adelson, Howard. The American Numismatic Society 1858-1958. New York, NY: American Numismatic Society, 1958.
American Journal of Numismatics. New York, NY, and Boston, MA: Various issues 1866 to 1912.
Asylum, The. Various issues 1980s onward. Published by the Numismatic Bibliomania Society. Plus eSylum, the free NBS Internet site hosted by Wayne Homren.
Augsburger, Leonard, and Joel J. Orosz, The Secret History of the First U.S. Mint: How Frank H. Stewart Destroyed, And Then Saved A National Treasure, Whitman Publishing LLC, 2001.
Bowers, Q. David. The History of United States Coinage as Illustrated by the Garrett Collection. Published for The Johns Hopkins University, 1979.
—— American Numismatics Before the Civil War, 1760-1860: Emphasizing the Story of Augustus B. Sage, Bowers and Merena Galleries, 1988.
—— Lost and Found: Coin Hoards and Treasures, new release by Whitman Publishing LLC, 2015.
Breen, Walter H. Walter Breen’s Encyclopedia of United States Half Cents. Southgate, CA: American Institute of Numismatic Research, 1983.
—— Walter Breen’s Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents 1793-1814. Wolfeboro, NH, Bowers and Merena Galleries, 2000.
Carothers, Neil. Fractional Money. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1930.
Cohen, Roger S., Jr. American Half Cents, the Little Half Sisters. Baltimore, MD: Published by the author, 1971; second edition, 1982 (with information, including about Proofs, not in the first edition).
Davis, Charles E. American Numismatic Literature: An Annotated Survey of Auction Sales 1980-1991. Lincoln, MA: Quarterman Publications, Inc., 1992.
Dickeson, Montroville W. American Numismatical Manual. Philadelphia, PA: J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1859.
Dubois, William E. Pledges of History: A Brief Account of the Collection of Coins Belonging to the Mint of the United States, More Particularly of the Antique Specimens. Philadelphia: C. Sherman, Printer, (1st Edition) 1846; New York: George P. Putnam, Second Edition, 1851.
Historical Magazine, The. Morrisania, NY. Issues in Series 1, 2, and 3, 1850s and 1860s.
Lapp, Warren A., and Herbert A. Silberman (editors). United States Large Cents 1793-1857. Lawrence, MA: Quarterman Publications, 1975. Anthology.
Manley, Ronald P. Half Cent Die State Book 1793-1857. Published by the author, 1998.
Newcomb, Howard R., United States Copper Cents 1816-1857. New York, NY: Stack’s, 1944.
Noyes, William C. United States Large Cents 1816-1839. Bloomington, MN: 1991.
Penny-Whimsy. Official journal of Early American Coppers, Inc. Currently edited by Harry Salyards, M.D
Sheldon, William H. Early American Cents. New York, NY: Harper & Brothers, 1949.
Sheldon, William H., Dorothy I. Paschal, and Walter Breen. Penny Whimsy. New York, NY: Harper & Brothers, 1958.
Smith, Pete, “History of the Early American Coppers Club.” EAC Internet website.
Taxay, Don. Counterfeit, Mis-Struck and Unofficial U.S. Coins, New York City, ARCO Publishing Company, Inc., 1963.
—— U.S. Mint and Coinage. New York: Arco Publishing, 1966.
Wright, John D., The Cent Book 1816-1839. Bloomington, MN, 1992.
