Two Guides Offer Advice

Two disparate books on collecting have recently come my way. The first is the 11th edition of “High Profits From Rare Coin Investment” by Q. David Bowers. The second is the first edition of the “Official Price Guide to Political Memorabilia” by Richard Friz. The books have little in common except that they will most likely appeal to the same collecting audience.

Most useful for numismatists is the familiar Bowers work, updated and enhanced to include such topics as “Building a Portfolio of United States Coins,” “Certified and Guaranteed Coins,” “Grading,” “Price and Market Cycles,” “How to Avoid Mistakes” and “How the Stock Market Affects the Coin Market.” A section investors might find particularly interesting charts coin prices on selected coins from 1948 to 1987. The book contains helpful information for hobbyists and investors alike.

The 11th edition of “High Profits From Rare Coin Investment” is $9.95 plus $2 postage and handling from Bowers & Merena Galleries, Box 1224, Wolfeboro, N.H. 03894.

While the “Official Price Guide to Political Memorabilia” is not directly coin-related, many coin dealers handle such material, and you can often find coins and political items side by side at coin shows. Some collectors, in fact, will specialize in Washingtonia or Lincoln artifacts, building collections around coins, medals, tokens and other related items. For such collectors, it’s particularly helpful to know what a pin, button or cane might be worth.

The “Official Price Guide to Political Memorabilia” is published by the House of Collectibles, 201 East 50th St., New York, N.Y. 10022.

Question: I have a pair of gold 14-karat cuff links containing 1905 Liberty head $5 coins. The gold pieces are in good condition with a few shallow scratches. Am wondering what the approximate value of these cuff links might be.--L.C.

Answer: Coins used as jewelry lose much of their collector value. Your coins are worth about $150 each, the links about $50 to $75.

Coin News

To commemorate the Year of the Dragon, the Singapore Mint will issue a number of low-mintage precious-metal pieces as part of the Lunar Series. All of the Year of the Dragon commemoratives have the same designs. The 1-ounce platinum (pictured) will sell for $795 with a mintage of 1,500. For quotes on the silver and gold issues, contact the American distributor, PandaAmerica, 23326 Hawthorne Blvd., Skypark Ten, Suite 150, Torrance, Calif. 90505; telephone (800) 4-PANDAS.