Pattern reference

[Generic Lad]

What is a good pattern reference book or site? I don't really want or need all the technical details, I'd just like a nice little image gallery and stories behind some of them. A price guide isn't needed (I highly doubt I'll even have the opportunity to buy a pattern coin in person!) but color photos would be a plus.

Thanks!

[Rob]

What is a good pattern reference book or site? I don't really want or need all the technical details, I'd just like a nice little image gallery and stories behind some of them. A price guide isn't needed (I highly doubt I'll even have the opportunity to buy a pattern coin in person!) but color photos would be a plus.

Thanks!

Make your own, there isn't one. You can have as many pictures as you want.

[1887jubilee]

What is a good pattern reference book or site? I don't really want or need all the technical details, I'd just like a nice little image gallery and stories behind some of them. A price guide isn't needed (I highly doubt I'll even have the opportunity to buy a pattern coin in person!) but color photos would be a plus.

Thanks!

Wilson & Rasmussen is fantastic for gold proofs and patterns but expensive. The auction houses sometimes give away complimentary copies if you are at a major sale in London

[VickySilver]

All true, the best one can manage is generally a list. Krause is pretty good for 20th. C pre-decimal, and could be a starting point; they actually had a number of illustrations some years back but dropped them. Still, much better than Spink or Davies or (old) Coincraft or ESC.

[Peckris]

Each major reference work includes patterns - Peck for copper/bronze, ESC for silver, for example. Freeman has a few too. The great advantage of Peck and ESC is that they have good photos of the patterns featured.

[TomGoodheart]

And don't forget auction catalogues: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Spink-The-Lariviere-Collection-of-Patterns-of-Charles-II-and-Other-English-Sco-/271032527175?pt=UK_Coins_OtherBritish_RL&hash=item3f1acc2947

[pies]

And don't forget auction catalogues: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Spink-The-Lariviere-Collection-of-Patterns-of-Charles-II-and-Other-English-Sco-/271032527175?pt=UK_Coins_OtherBritish_RL&hash=item3f1acc2947

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO thats my bid

[Generic Lad]

Thanks for all the advice/insight!

It appears there is no "silver bullet" when it comes to where to look at patterns.

[Peter]

There is a book in all of us...well

[pokal02]

There is 'A Guide to English Pattern Coins' by Crowther. It was published in 1887 and therefore doesn't give everything that we know about now, but still useful. It's not that expensive for its age (I picked up a reasonably good copy for about £20 3 or 4 years ago).