Recommended Reading: Alphabetical by Author

The safest way to get started in this hobby is by reading. Read about collecting in general and the particular types of coins you're interested in. This will help you tell the good quality coins from the poor quality ones, the real coins from the fakes, and help you find a coin at a good price. It's also fun to read about the history of the coin as well. You can find these books at your local bookstore, coin shop, or through online bookstores.

Other good sources of information that are books but are not listed below include auction catalogs from any of the major auction houses, and population reports from any of the major grading services. Population reports give you an estimate of how common a coin of a particular type and grade is- the more common it is, the less it will be worth (generally speaking).

My list of books is targeted to beginners. I just don't have the time to maintain a comprehensive listing, it's not within the scope of this site, and it's already been done elsewhere. For as close to a complete list as you can get, try the Numismatic Bibliomania Society. They have an excellent listing of numismatic books on all topics within the hobby. The American Numismatists Association is also a great resource since it has its entire library catalog online, if you're looking for a book on a specific type of coin.

Most of the books below were suggested by collectors on the Usenet group rec.collecting.coins, or culled from issues of The Numismatist. I must admit I'm a bit lax when it comes to reading up on the subject so I can't vouch personally for most of these books. If I have read it, I put in a word or two about it. Some of the entries have a "review" link next to them that will take you to a review of the book.

Here the list is sorted by author. There are also lists sorted alphabetically by subject and by title.