World's Greatest Mint Errors - Hardcover

Mike Byers

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1933990023 ISBN 13: 9781933990026

Publisher: Zyrus Press, 2009

Synopsis

World's Greatest Mint Errors is the latest release from Zyrus Press and the first full-length book by Mike Byers, a well-known expert on government issued error coins. In this 'coffee table' format, Mike Byers brings us the wealth of all his years of buying, selling, and discovering the most dramatic and amazing mint errors and die trials ever found in the U.S. and across the world, including new findings and new types of errors. Every single mint error published in this book is imaged in a high resolution, full color, large-sized photo, with information on value, rarity, and grade. Some chapters included are: Bonded Coins, Brockages, Die Caps, Double / Multiple Strikes, Double Denomination, Fold-Over Strikes, Gold Errors, and the new Presidential Dollar errors, among others.

About this title

About the Author

Mike Byers is a well-known expert on government issued error coins. He is the editor and publisher of Mint Error News Magazine, and has been a professional numismatist for over two decades. Today, he is the largest dealer in the U.S. of mint errors, die trials, and other numismatic rarities from around the world.

Review

World s Greatest Mint Errors: A Guide to the Most Spectacular Major Mint Error Coins by Mike Byers, Zyrus Press. One need not be a serious coin collector to appreciate World s Greatest Mint Errors, though the book is clearly intended to appeal to the professional numismatic community. Written by Mike Byers publisher and editor of Mint Error News Magazine and minterrornews.com this extensive guide groups major mint errors into 30 different categories (including Off-Center Strikes, Double Strikes and Proof Errors, to name just a few). Each chapter begins with a definition of the aberration in question, followed by enlarged color photographs of each error coin presented, along with a concise explanation of how and why the mistake happened. Most chapters conclude with a price guide (intended to give the reader an idea of what said coins might be worth), and the appendix includes a section illustrating how error coins are filtered out of the minting process. While a handful of the faults pictured might be recognized only by an informed observer, most are visually dramatic and more radical than one might expect. For example, chapter one features a Swedish 1964 2 ore that is bonded to a wrench. Also remarkable is a 1999 Lincoln Cent that has been folded over three times and expanded to the size of a Half Dollar, as well as the entire chapter devoted to fragments and scraps. Notably, Byers asserts that the future of mint errors isn t what it used to be, in part because the U.S. government has taken drastic measures to eliminate mistakes and ensure that error coins don t enter circulation. So this Best of collection is likely to endure as a valuable reference for a very long time. --Review by Failure magazine, failuremag.com, July 2009.

BOOK REVIEW: WORLD'S GREATEST ERRORS BY MIKE BYERS In his Preface, the author writes: In 1975, I purchased a 1900 Indian Head Cent struck on a $2½ Indian gold blank planchet from the Beck Collection for $7,750 at a major coin auction. That price ranked among the top five ever realized by a mint error and represented a sum of money that few dealers or serious collectors would even consider spending on an error coin. Back then, there were no price guides for mint errors and very little information readily available to the public. Certainly there were no books to guide the reader through the vivid array and variety of mint error coinage. Since then, the mint error market has witnessed an explosion in collector interest. Today, there are hundreds of dealers, investors and collectors who are purchasing major mint errors far in excess of $7,750. Much has changed since 1975, and in large part, the driving motivation behind this book was to assemble in one place the mint errors that best represent the culmination and maturity of mint error coinage as a fundamental segment of the overall numismatic market. I didn't recall there being any error coins in the John A. Beck collection, so I reached for my copy of Beck Part I, the January 1975 sale by Abner Kreisberg's Quality Sales& corporation. And there it was - lot 609, plated. Formerly in the collections of the famous St. Louis coin dealer B.G. Johnson and in the Col. Green collection... We know there are supposedly three other Cents struck in gold but none have been offered for many years. From the Introduction World s Greatest Mint Errors is the first book ever published to focus specifically on the most spectacular error coins from the United States Mint and mints throughout the world. While the primary attraction of this book will be found in the hundreds of large scale, full color error coin images, some which have never before been published, its practical application for the numismatist will be as a guide toward a better understanding of major mint errors, their relative rarity, and value. Many coins found within these pages are so unique that they have eluded widespread exposure in numismatic circles. The Byers book is first and foremost a picture book, but what pictures! These are indeed spectacular error coins, all wonderfully photographed. Numismatic information is not forgotten, though - each chapter has a brief but accurate description of how each type of error is created. Each photographed coin is accompanied by a paragraph of information. The word World in the book's title is a bit of a stretch. As made obvious by the cover photos, the overwhelming majority of the coins pictured are U.S. Mint products. We recently discussed brockages (and have more in this issue). The topic is covered in Chapter 3. Other interesting chapters include Counterbrockages and Die Adjustment Strikes. Below are examples of chapter headings and individual coin listings. Each chapter includes a useful table listing market values for typical examples of the given error in various grades. Although the book is light on text, it provides a fine overview of the subject and I suspect it will be responsible for the creation of some new error collectors. My main misgiving about the book is the inclusion in many of the photo groupings a picture of the coin in a third-party grading slab. What's up with that? I don't get it - the coin is already pictured and the slab is just a distraction, giving the book the feel of a dealer fixed price list. I'm not an anti-slab snob, but I don't see that these images add anything to the book. In summary, I enjoyed Byers' book and think both casual and advanced numismatists will enjoy it and learn a few things about errors and the minting process. --Wayne Homren of E-Sylum, NBS

Review of Mike Byers book Worlds Greatest Mint Errors: A Guide to the Most Spectacular Major Mint Error Coins When first presented with this book, one is impressed at the size of 12 ½ x 10 ½ inches. A colorful cover adorns this book, and gives but a small insight as to what is contained inside. It is quite obvious that Mr. Byers spent an inordinate amount of time compiling the data used in this book. It is also evident that much thought went into the way this book could be presented to allow the reader the most information, with no extraneous data. I found it very easy to navigate this book and locate a particular error type, and to see wonderful examples of those errors. I was also impressed with the layout, to include the break down of the coins into their respective categories. There are 30 chapters that deal with specific categories. Most people are unaware that so many different types of error coins exist. Full color, spectacular photographs, short and concise descriptions, and an easy on the eyes background contribute to an exceptional compilation of major error coins. As an error and variety collector, I was surprised by the sheer number of wonderful specimens photographed. The enlarged photographs enable the reader to see minute details normally missing in most photographs of these types of coins. The inclusion of rarity and value data is also impressive. The price guides for each type of error, by denomination, is a bonus. For me personally, the appendix s offered the most valuable information for those folks wishing to embark on the wonderful world of error coin collecting. Offering tables of U.S. Coin Weights and Specifications, and an appendix that explains the Minting Process (with photographs) is but another reason why I like this book so much. For current and future connoisseurs of major error collecting, this book is a must have. --Combined Organizations of Numismatic Error Collectors of America (CONECA)

Edition details

• Publisher: Zyrus Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1933990023
• ISBN 13: 9781933990026
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 232