Get the Book: Lost Cents, Dead Owners

This is the book that I always wanted to read. But no one dared to write it. After a long wait, I decided to write it myself. I know you will like it, as it is a celebration of coin collecting for the armchair historian. This book will appeal to anyone who has marveled at a crusty old coin -- even if you do not claim to be a necromancer.
   From the start, the title -- Lost Cents, Dead Owners -- lets you know that this is a no-nonsense book. It presents a familiar viewpoint with a twist: "A lost coin is history in your hand." Such musings have unfortunately has become lost in a coin marketplace that is obsessed with mint-state and high-value coins. Consequently, this book takes a back-to-the-roots approach to collecting wherein old coins are revered for having survived into the present.
   This book opens with the argument that corroded coins are fascinating relics that deserve to be collected. Early on, I challenge the reader to appreciate the beauty of verdigris and other colorful products that signal when a coin is returning to nature. Like all great art, I suggest that the evocative impact of corrosion finds it energy in the darker emotions associated with loss, decay, and death.

Here is the publisher proofs for the front (R) and back (L) cover.
Click on the photo to enlarge it. Treat yourself to a book!

   This aesthetic is not new, as classical writers have remarked on the splendor, and romance, of ruins -- from Roman temples to early American plantations. Charles Dickens called it an "awful beauty." It is a beauty that hits you in the gut. Other writers have claimed that many ruins are more beautiful now than when newly built. Indeed, the aesthetics of decay are shaped by the conflict between nature and the object wherein the object is losing. I submit that relic coins are ruins that we can hold in our hand.
   This book also provides an in-depth tutorial on how copper and copper-nickel coins corrode. The minerals that accumulate on the surface of decaying cents and nickels are described. In addition, the electrochemical processes wherein electrons are stolen and the metal is eaten away are explained in plain language. No other book covers this material as well. Color photographs throughout the text illustrate the corrosive processes at work -- and, by the way, the coins I chose are spectacular!
   This book suggests several strategies for collecting relic coins. Of course, one obvious approach is to add a few worn, battered, and corroded coins to your collection of nice ones to show the contrast. But we can do better. In particular, I introduce the idea of contextual collecting. This approach uses archeological finds as a guide to selecting relic coins that reflect those found at historic sites. Imagine how fun it would be to collect the same coins actually dug on a Civil War battlefield or discovered in a colonial house. This contextual approach is contrasted with the mundane date-by-mint ritual that has shaped collecting since Victorian times.
   I conclude the above discussions by providing useful guidelines for selecting relic coins with original surfaces. You might be surprised to learn that unscrupulous dealers try to create a relic-look with household chemicals. Also, tech-savvy folks doctor coin photographs to make their coins look more interesting online. I will show you how to avoid such deceptions. After all, we want our relic coins to be unadulterated -- we seek relics that come directly from the hand of those who spent, saved, and then lost them.
   In summary, this soft-cover book is a slim volume at 80 pages, but it is filled with ideas that you will not find elsewhere. It is an introspective book for the true collector who loves to ponder the secret lives of coins. The format is large at 8.5 x 11. All the photographs are in vivid color. This book is available for $24.95 from Books123.org. Here is the link: Link to Books123. This is a break-even price that allows me to keep writing. I am certain that Lost Cents, Dead Owners will provide a pleasant weekend of inspirational reading, so please get one and share it. Half the fun will be discussing these ideas with your collecting friends.