Books

Essential new books about numismatics and specialized in shipwreck coins and artifacts

The following books are generally in print and available in quantity. For more specialized references and rare books and catalogs, please visit www.workmansbooks.com , run by my colleague and friend, Alan Workman, whose site is dedicated solely to books and catalogs pertaining to treasure-type items, including coins and militaria. Any old books or auction catalogs that I had in small quantities went to this site!

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Description

Item#

Price

EL MOCLON, by Alfonso Perez Longo (2008). A new and accurate guide to the Guatemala crown countermarks of 1662 (not 1663 as previously believed), written in Spanish by an expert in the field, with photos and transcripts of actual documents from the time. Autographed by the author.

TUMBAGA SILVER FOR EMPEROR CHARLES V OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, by Douglas R. Armstrong (1993). Until our new book comes out later this year, this Armstrong text will remain the one and only reference on the fascinating "tumbaga" silver ingots found in a Bahamas wreck in 1992 and proven to be the spoils of Cortez' conquest, and it will always be the best source for original field notes and conclusions by the very person who conserved the bars. Soft cover, comb bound (hence rare first printing), approx. 200 pages, much in demand but only limited quantity available.

THE PRACTICAL BOOK OF COBS, 20th Anniversary (4th) Edition, by Daniel Frank Sedwick (2007). Soft cover, 254 pages, illustrated with maps, diagrams and photos. This popular book has been out of print since 1995 and unavailable for a number of years now, so this new edition should be a most welcome addition to the market! Greatly expanded from the previous edition (more than 100 pages longer!), this 20th Anniversary edition contains a long new section on the shipwrecks that have yielded cobs over the years, complete with a foldout map and specific bibliographies for each wreck. For further information about this book click here.  click here.

$25 each

ISLA EL MUERTO AND THE TREASURES OF THE CONSOLACION, by William Gene Seliger (2008). This brand-new book about the Consolación wreck of 1681 off Ecuador was written by one of the salvagers, and as such is a unique perspective you don't usually get in writing! Published in Ecuador in limited quantities, this supply of this book will be soon outstripped by its demand from the hundreds if not thousands of collectors who now own silver cobs from this wreck. 173 pages, large format, softcover.

MONEDAS DE COLOMBIA, 1619-2006, 2nd edition, by Jorge Emilio Restrepo (2007). This is a compilation of all the author's previous works, including cobs, milled colonial, and Republican issues to the present, and as such it is an invaluable tool for anyone with an interest in coins made in Colombia. The information is accurate and up-to-date, with tables of values for all the post-cob issues, and photos of coins of each type—in short, a marvel of organization and clarity for a series that defies both!  Spiral bound, limited printing (200 copies), 299 pages.  Autographed by the author.

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THE COB COINAGE OF COLOMBIA, by Joseph R. Lasser and Jorge Emilio Restrepo (2000). Quickly becoming a classic, this 150-page hardbound book covers all that was known in 2000 about Colombian cobs, with excellent photos throughout and very well organized for such a difficult area, a must for all collectors of Colombian cobs.

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8 REALES COBS OF POTOSI, by Emilio Paoletti (2006).  Beautifully hardbound with dust jacket, 402 pages, with tons of great photos, this is the much-anticipated English-language edition of Paoletti's esteemed work on Potosí cob 8 reales of all periods.  Truly there is no more accurate reference on the subject today!  A Spanish translation is also provided at the end (text only).  Autographed by the author.

THE MACUQUINA CODE, by Agustín "Augi" García-Barneche (2006).  A Spanish-to-English, English-to-Spanish glossary of over 1500 terms relating to cobs (macuquinas in Spanish) and treasure, a very useful guide (for even native speakers of Spanish often struggle with some of the terminology!).  Not huge (92 pages, soft cover), but priced accordingly.  Autographed by the author.

SPAIN, PORTUGAL AND THE NEW WORLD, by Krause-Mishler (2002).  With forewords by Daniel Frank Sedwick, David Fiero, and Roberto Jovel; soft cover, large format (8½” x 11”), 645 pages, covering all Spanish and Spanish colonial issues, plus Republican issues to present from former Spanish colonies (in addition to the Portuguese material), including counterstamps, hence a great boon to readers of my catalogs, with listings of every date in every denomination and values for up to 7 grades, and of course many photos.  Now offered at 40% off the former retail price!  Wholesale discounts for quantities.

$30 each

THE GOLD COINAGE OF GRAN COLOMBIA, by Frank Sedwick (1991).  Still considered the most complete and accurate reference on post-independence Colombian gold coins (including Ecuador and Venezuela, as they were once part of "Gran Colombia"), with values and rarities for all known issues.  Soft cover, 90 pages, brand new (please inquire for bulk discounts to dealers).

$12 each