I have been reading through the private papers of William Hunter as part of my research for my final year dissertation. Hunter was a physician and an avid coin collector, amassing a huge collection of coins over his lifetime. His papers include price lists of various coins that he had bought or considered buying. I'm going to list a few of them since I think it gives an fascinating insight into 18th century coin collecting.
When I became co-referee for Canadian Colonial Tokens, I purchased "Illustrated History of Coins and Tokens relating to Canada" by P.N. Breton. My thinking being, I wouldn't be much of a referee if I didn't have the manual containing the reference #'s that are still in use today.
Little did I realize that my copy, published in 2005, is simply a reprint of the original which was first published in 1894. I was somewhat disappointed at first as my Charlton Catalogue contains all the pertinent technical data; weight, diameter, composition, etc.
But you know, this book has grown on me. It is simply fascinating when you think about it. A Rarity Index only, no grading to speak of other than a price range. Every coin hand illustrated, both obverse and reverse. And all during a time when the words "Word Processor" did not go together.
Fascinating!!!
It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure, that just ain't so. Mark Twain
I've also read the Numismata Scotiæ which was published in 1786. Its fascinating to see how interpretations change. The book misidentifies several coins as belonging to monarchs that never issued coins. It also highlights the rivalries between Numismatists at the time. The author devotes the first page to mocking the illustrations in a slightly older work on Scottish coinage.
The currency of the Great War by Benjamin White is also worth a read. It was written in 1921 when the wounds of WWI were still fresh, this is evident in the way it is written.
