Do you have the Red Book from your birthyear?

lordmarcovan

Let’s hear some prices!

Mine is 1965.

1793 Chain cent in Good: $240.00.
1909-S VDB cent in Good: $125.00.
1916-D Merc dime in Good: $82.50.
1893-S Morgan in VF: $95.00.
Common-date double eagle (1904) in VF $55.00.

Here’s an old postcard from that era that @savoyspecial found. Note the sign offering “New 1966 Red Books” for sale. And the Lucite coin paperweights and pen sets in the bottom of the showcases.

I’ll cheerfully buy everything in those cases for the marked prices- no haggling!

If they’ll let me do that, I’ll even wear a jacket and tie.

MWallace

I had one but I sold it when I sold off all of my Redbooks. I should get another one. 1956 for me.

erscolo

No, I am pretty sure the paper would have turned to dust.

Greenstang

They didn’t make them back then.

johnny9434

no, they didnt make that in 550 bc

lordmarcovan

So for some of you, your birthyear Red Books were on papyrus scrolls, and the prices were in sestertii, huh.

ajaan

@lordmarcovan said:
Let’s hear some prices!

Mine is 1965.

1793 Chain cent in Good: $240.00.
1909-S VDB cent in Good: $125.00.
1916-D Merc dime in Good: $82.50.
1893-S Morgan in VF: $95.00.
Common-date double eagle (1904) in VF $55.00.

Here’s an old postcard from that era that @savoyspecial found. Note the sign offering “New 1966 Red Books” for sale. And the Lucite coin paperweights and pen sets in the bottom of the showcases.

I’ll cheerfully buy everything in those cases for the marked prices- no haggling!

If they’ll let me do that, I’ll even wear a jacket and tie.

What? No slabs? That's not collecting. 😉

tommy44

@lordmarcovan said:
Let’s hear some prices!

Mine is 1965.

1793 Chain cent in Good: $240.00.
1909-S VDB cent in Good: $125.00.
1916-D Merc dime in Good: $82.50.
1893-S Morgan in VF: $95.00.
Common-date double eagle (1904) in VF $55.00.

Here’s an old postcard from that era that @savoyspecial found. Note the sign offering “New 1966 Red Books” for sale. And the Lucite coin paperweights and pen sets in the bottom of the showcases.

I’ll cheerfully buy everything in those cases for the marked prices- no haggling!

If they’ll let me do that, I’ll even wear a jacket and tie.

When did coin dealers stop wearing suits?

No Redbooks when I was born, the oldest one I had was a 1949 that I purchased at a yard sale.

pcgsregistrycollector

Hard to believe the price difference was so small between the s VDB and the chain cent back then. Now the chain cents are worth exponentially more then S VDB regardless of condition.

messydesk

@tommy44 said:

@lordmarcovan said:
Let’s hear some prices!

Mine is 1965.

1793 Chain cent in Good: $240.00.
1909-S VDB cent in Good: $125.00.
1916-D Merc dime in Good: $82.50.
1893-S Morgan in VF: $95.00.
Common-date double eagle (1904) in VF $55.00.

Here’s an old postcard from that era that @savoyspecial found. Note the sign offering “New 1966 Red Books” for sale. And the Lucite coin paperweights and pen sets in the bottom of the showcases.

I’ll cheerfully buy everything in those cases for the marked prices- no haggling!

If they’ll let me do that, I’ll even wear a jacket and tie.

When did coin dealers stop wearing suits?

When the mustard stain removal expenses started piling up too fast.

messydesk

I do not have a 1966 Red Book. I did discover a couple weeks ago, however, that it was in that edition that the mintage for 1878 8TF Morgan dollars was increased from 416,000 to 750,000. That number is probably still used, although it is way low. Many (all?) older Red Books can be found on archive.org.

oldabeintx

Not possible.

ColoradoCoinGuy

@lordmarcovan said:
Let’s hear some prices!

Here is mine, I will let you figure out the date.

1793 Chain (AMERI) cent in Good: $65.00.
1909-S VDB cent in Good: $12.50.
1916-D Merc dime in Good: $10.00.
1893-S Morgan in VF: $50.00.
Common-date double eagle (1904) in VF $45.00.

AUandAG

When did they first issue them?
bob

mtnman

They didn’t come out until 1947, I think. I was born in 1944.

PennyGuy

@lordmarcovan said:
Let’s hear some prices!

Mine is 1965.

1793 Chain cent in Good: $240.00.
1909-S VDB cent in Good: $125.00.
1916-D Merc dime in Good: $82.50.
1893-S Morgan in VF: $95.00.
Common-date double eagle (1904) in

My birth year Red Book prices…..

(Note: Lowest grade listed)

1793 Chain cent in Good: $45
1909-S VDB cent in Fine. $8
1916-D Merc dime in Fine. $17.50
1893-S Morgan in UNC. $100.00.
Common-date double eagle (1904) in Find. $65.00

The RB date? 1947

1630Boston

Great to see you Lord M
@lordmarcovan

.From the NNP

CaptHenway

Yes, but no Bluebook

HillbillyCollector

Wow, those DE prices!
I think I would have bought those by the pound.😉😂
The last ‘04 I I bought was like 2.4k and that was a deal.🤪

Allentram

I was born in 1969. An aunt of mine happened to have copies of the 1964 and 1974 Red Books and gifted them to me. So, taking the average of both, I do, in fact, have a Red Book from my birth year.

VF Chain Cent in 1964, $825. In 1974, $2,350
Unc 1937 3-Legged Buffalo Nickel in 1964, $125. In 1974, $250
Common Unc St Gaudens Double Eagles in 1964, $80. In 1974, $175.

ernie11

Nope. But I do have a 1951-52 4th edition.

gumby1234

No, but I have many other years

seatedlib3991

The day and year I became a coin collector counts way more with me. So yes, I still have my tattered , in 3 pieces, Redbook from 1967. James

BillJones

This book has my birth year on the cover, but the copyright date is 1948. That makes it the third edition. I guess I'm the "old geezer" here.

Here are the prices for the pieces @lordmarcovan priced:

1793 Chain cent in Good: $35.00.
1909-S VDB cent in Fine: $10.00. There is no price listed for Good
1916-D Merc dime in Good: $4.00.
1893-S Morgan in Unc.: $140.00. There is no price for anything but Unc. and Proof for Morgan Dollars
Common-date double eagle (1904) in Fine $52.50. There is no listing for VF. Uncs are $75.00. That was the "expensive price for them in the mid 1960s.

BillJones

@lordmarcovan said:
Let’s hear some prices!

Mine is 1965.

1793 Chain cent in Good: $240.00.
1909-S VDB cent in Good: $125.00.
1916-D Merc dime in Good: $82.50.
1893-S Morgan in VF: $95.00.
Common-date double eagle (1904) in VF $55.00.

Here’s an old postcard from that era that @savoyspecial found. Note the sign offering “New 1966 Red Books” for sale. And the Lucite coin paperweights and pen sets in the bottom of the showcases.

I’ll cheerfully buy everything in those cases for the marked prices- no haggling!

If they’ll let me do that, I’ll even wear a jacket and tie.

It would have been interesting to have had close-up photos of the interior of the cases. I was quite active during this period with a limited high school kid's budget.

Here's one of the few coins I have left from that time. This was a "Choice Unc." I paid Stacks' $45 for it over the counter.

ajaan

No Red Book but a Blue Book.

And this from year and month of my birth.

Russell12

I have one from the 1970's when I was collecting as a kid. It hurts too much to open it and see the values

messydesk

@BillJones said:
This book has my birth year on the cover, but the copyright date is 1948. That makes it the third edition. I guess I'm the "old geezer" here.

Here are the prices for the pieces @lordmarcovan priced:

1793 Chain cent in Good: $35.00.
1909-S VDB cent in Fine: $10.00. There is no price listed for Good
1916-D Merc dime in Good: $4.00.
1893-S Morgan in Unc.: $140.00. There is no price for anything but Unc. and Proof for Morgan Dollars
Common-date double eagle (1904) in Fine $52.50. There is no listing for VF. Uncs are $75.00. That was the "expesive price for them in the mid 1960s.

Should probably add the 1903-O Morgan to that pricing, or perhaps a common date like 98-O, 02-O or 04-O.

jughead1893

BillJones

@messydesk said:

@BillJones said:
This book has my birth year on the cover, but the copyright date is 1948. That makes it the third edition. I guess I'm the "old geezer" here.

Here are the prices for the pieces @lordmarcovan priced:

1793 Chain cent in Good: $35.00.
1909-S VDB cent in Fine: $10.00. There is no price listed for Good
1916-D Merc dime in Good: $4.00.
1893-S Morgan in Unc.: $140.00. There is no price for anything but Unc. and Proof for Morgan Dollars
Common-date double eagle (1904) in Fine $52.50. There is no listing for VF. Uncs are $75.00. That was the "expesive price for them in the mid 1960s.

Should probably add the 1903-O Morgan to that pricing, or perhaps a common date like 98-O, 02-O or 04-O.

Okay

1898-O $12.00
1902-O $12.60
1903-O $175.00
1904-O $15.00

The high prices you probably have in mind were in the early 1960s when the 1903-O hit $1,500 and then to $15.00 for a short while.

You should also remember that many people were making $20 a week in 1949.

jesbroken

Never owned a 1948 but had a 1949 until pages were out and gave it to a young boy at a coin shop many years ago. Still got the one given me by the owner of the Kingsport, Tn Coin/Hobby Shop. Little old woman whom everyone was terrified of, but we seemed to get along. A 1960, I'm remembering.
Jim

Twobitcollector

@mtnman said:
They didn’t come out until 1947, I think. I was born in 1944.

Me too

BillJones

@Twobitcollector said:

@mtnman said:
They didn’t come out until 1947, I think. I was born in 1944.

Me too

You guys would need a Blue Book. I think Waite Raymond published a forerunner of the Red Book at that time too. I don’t know for sure. I only have a couple of additions of it.

DisneyFan

Nine Thousand copies of the 1947 Red Book, the first edition of the Guide Book of United States Coins, were released in November, 1946.

giorgio11

@lordmarcovan said:
Let’s hear some prices!

Mine is 1965.

1793 Chain cent in Good: $240.00.
1909-S VDB cent in Good: $125.00.
1916-D Merc dime in Good: $82.50.
1893-S Morgan in VF: $95.00.
Common-date double eagle (1904) in VF $55.00.

Here’s an old postcard from that era that @savoyspecial found. Note the sign offering “New 1966 Red Books” for sale. And the Lucite coin paperweights and pen sets in the bottom of the showcases.

I’ll cheerfully buy everything in those cases for the marked prices- no haggling!

If they’ll let me do that, I’ll even wear a jacket and tie.

No, they hadn't invented the printing press yet.

BillJones

@DisneyFan said:
Nine Thousand copies of the 1947 Red Book, the first edition of the Guide Book of United States Coins, were released in November, 1946.

Whitman put out a reprint a few years ago.