THE HISTORY OF UNITED STATES COINAGE AS ILLUSTRATED BY THE GARRETT COLLECTION

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The One Hundred Greatest Items Of United States Numismatic Literature Rank: Number 14

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Clain-Stefanelli 11927

This is the first (and greatest, per our survey) of the Bowers’ companion volumes prepared for the premier sales of Bowers & Merena: Garrett, Norweb, Eliasberg, and Bass. While ample information is included regarding the Garrett family history and formation of the collection, the strength of the work is to set the greater context of American numismatics. This is the story of American coinage told the Bowers way – crammed with historical connections, chock full of anecdotes, pleasantly illustrated, entirely readable and at the same time authoritative. Together with Breen (#1) and Taxay (#12), each of this trilogy of late twentieth century standard references offers a unique reflection of its author: Breen the polyglot, Taxay a window to the archives, and Bowers the master storyteller, without the least concession to scholarly standards.

1979 Edition

BOWERS, Q. David. THE HISTORY OF UNITED STATES COINAGE AS ILLUSTRATED BY THE GARRETT COLLECTION. New York, NY: 1979
572pp
Quarto
Hardbound: Black leatherette

1979 First printing - 5,000 copies
1980 Second printing - 3,500 copies
1980 Third printing - 3,500 copies
1984 Fourth printing - 3,500 copies
1988 Fifth printing - 2,000 copies