New collector looking for book recommendations [resuelto]

Hello 🙂

I've recently got back into collecting again and I'm looking for a good collectors guide style book or two that are beginner friendly.

I've had a look around online and the recommendations seem to be either so expensive I'd rather spend the money on quadrupling my collection, or very niche. I'm interested in something that covers the hobby in a more general way, with maybe some ideas on how to start collecting (focus on notes in your favourite colour, a specific country/region, ones with birds on etc.) as well as having some collecting tips or example collections (hopefully with photos so I can get excited and add things to my wishlist here)

Please let me know if something like this exists, or if I should be looking at magazines/blogs instead for example

Thanks :) 

It may be difficult to find a book/guide that isn't niche since there are so many specialties with collecting coins & paper. 

Here's what I did:

I went to our local library & saw several books on coins & paper money here in Canada.  We had many chartered banks print money before our Central bank & there was a huge tome on that. Finally, I read through our Charlton Guide to Government Paper Money.  I can't remember the edition but it was likely the first or 2nd. I must admit that I found it a bit confusing with all the pricing tables but the pre-ambles on each series was fascinating. Eventually, the guide improved & I picked up a used copy somewhere for a fraction of the cost of a newly released copy. So my suggestion to you is to go to your local library (or a larger one if needed) & try to find a guide in their Reference section, before spending the $.  Once you've figured out which area you wish to collect, you may want to try eBay for a used guide/catalogue. I cannot overstate the importance of reading one of these guides (if you wish to be a better collector) & one that is a few years old is better than nothing.  Many of them do improve but they're not that different.

For BoE notes, I have found Pam West site very helpful. Here is her section on books & I would be tempted to pick up the 6th Ed of English Paper Money by her & Vincent Duggleby.  You can buy first editions (if you're into books) but the best bet are the latest eds when you're just starting out.

For World notes, the challenge to find a guide is so much more complicated b/c the Standard Catalogue of World Paper Money (SCWPM) is no longer published so we're stuck with either picking up a used copy or online education.  I have tried to dedicate my Notaphilyc Culture site to collecting world currency (though I will drift towards CAD issues sometimes) & created a WORLD MOTIF page about 3 or 4 years ago (that may help as a general guide to what some collect). 

Good luck & have fun!

Thank you very much for your reply, I love the website you shared with the motif details - I will definitely be collecting some Ship and Science motifs next.

I've managed to get a copy of the SCWPM and I think I'll use that as a jumping off point for now 

MattWez

Thank you very much for your reply, I love the website you shared with the motif details - I will definitely be collecting some Ship and Science motifs next.

No problem (glad I could help). There are plenty of Ship note designs out there which range from these inexpensive Singapore examples:

to the more expensive (One Pound from pre-decimal New Zealand):

The last Discovery Series from Portugal has some great/intricate designs featuring ships too.   

One of my favourite Science notes (which has his yacht/ship on the back) is this 2000Lira featuring Marconi from Italy:

I've managed to get a copy of the SCWPM and I think I'll use that as a jumping off point for now 

The SCWPM is a great starting point. 

Just because I have them, here's the Pam West ones that Serial_Number_8 mentioned. The English one is right up to the 10th edition these days.

I believe these are all the most recent releases of each book.

And just to give you a flavour of the inside, this is the English polymer £5.

And a Scottish £5

As you can see, you get a general summarised introduction to the note, followed by lots of information and pictures. Every new signature gets a whole picture with the release date(s) and/or serial prefixes. Then often a valuation though I can't comment on accuracy because I buy lower grades (rather have lots of different okay notes than one perfect one!)

Some can feel like they go on a bit though. This is a just part of a single Scottish £1

The intro is page 732 and it ends on page 740(!). Granted, there's a lot of variations in here, but it's a lot. I'd have preferred just a close up signature box, like what we have here on Numista, and then just a run of info if there's no other significant changes to the note.

Obviously resizes (as scale will be different) or colour modifications, I get having the pics. But a full picture for each signature. Still, they've very informative and great information. Plus the odd injections of humour or really nice detail.

There's a page on the first women cashiers allowed to sign out notes (happened during WWI) and there's a picture of the female clerks. I'll see if I can find it.

Found it! 🙂

If you want any pics from any of the other books or on a particular note, shout & I'll pop them on here. Just so you can have a little “try before buy”.

They're fantastic & indispensable if you're wanting to get into any of the specific nations / territories in a “big” way. Worth every penny if you are. 

Perhaps a little daunting for a beginner though, and probably not useful if you're just wanting a few notes here and there rather than very narrow focus.