Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #186956 in Books
• Published on: 2008-12-01
• Binding: Spiral-bound
• 344 pages

Customer Reviews

Bad photos make for bad grading
Great idea, but poor execution. The photos are not nearly clear enough or large enough to see the fine details that are essential to successful grading. It is often just about impossible to discern any difference between the photos of adjoining grades. In the case of early bust coins, unfortunate choices of varieties with known striking weaknesses have been used that completely confuse the reader. Sometimes a photo of the normal grade is used and at other times, a mid grade is used. For example: for Capped Bust Reeded Edge Half Dollars, AU uses a photo of an AU58 coin, but Lettered Edge Capped Bust Half Dollars uses an AU50 coin. Huge difference. I'm quite sure that David Bowers knows better. Mr. Bowers: what this book REALLY NEEDS is a companion CD or DVD with High Resolution photos that also include intelligently chosen examples of all mid grades. Maybe PCGS will let you photograph their reference set...

A Review of Grading Coins by Photographs by Q. David Bowers
A Review of Grading Coins by Photographs by Q. David Bowers

I started coin collecting in the 1950's and was familiar with Q. David Bowers experience in coin collecting from his advertisements in Coin World magazine. I sold the majority of my collection in the late 1980's but having just retired, I decided to resume my favorite hobby and realized that I had a lot of "catching up" to do. For example, the numerical grading of coins was completely new to me. Consequently, I purchased "Grading Coins by Photographs" by Q. David Bowers. This is an excellent book for educating novice coin collectors regarding the grading of coins, and is an important reference book for experienced collectors looking to expand their collections to include coin types in which they may have limited knowledge.

The first five chapters were a good introduction to the in-depth review of key characteristics associated with assigning a grade to a coin. I enjoyed the history of coin collecting and how it has evolved to the present, the development of the numerical grading system, metals and their interaction with the environment, cleaning of coins and consideration of features other than those commonly associated with a particular coin type. Photographs next to each discussion section were particularly valuable in illustrating each point the author was making.

The in-depth review of grading coins was very good. The brief review of each coin type preceding grading of each coin or incorporated into the grading discussion enhanced grading information and served to educate the reader regarding factors affecting the strike and sharpness of coins. I wish more information could be given that exactly distinguishes 64, 65, 66, 67 and 68 coins. Currently, I can't grade coins in this range, but perhaps with practice, as recommended in the book, this will become possible. One of the take home messages in this book is that each collector should develop the ability to grade coins and not rely on a grading service or someone else. This book serves as a good reference book to achieve this end and I highly recommend it to new and experienced collectors.