New CHERRYPICKERS' GUIDE, 5th ed., Vol. I (half cents - nickels)
Dentuck
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NEW CHERRYPICKERS’ GUIDE FOCUSES ON HALF CENTS THROUGH NICKELS
Atlanta, Georgia – Whitman Publishing, LLC is proud to announce the impending release of the latest edition of one of America’s most popular coin books: the Cherrypickers’ Guide to Rare Die Varieties, Fifth Edition, Volume I. This volume covers all United States series from half cents through nickel five-cent pieces.
The book is the result of many years of cumulative research and finessing by the lead authors, Bill Fivaz and J.T. Stanton, in cooperation with many collectors, scholars, dealers, and others in the numismatic community. It presents information unavailable in any other single source.
The Cherrypickers’ Guide shows the reader how to “cherrypick” coins—that is, how to examine a seemingly ordinary collection and identify coins with die characteristics that make them rare and valuable. There are hundreds of instances in which an everyday Indian Head cent, Jefferson nickel, or other coin can multiply many times in value if it is of an interesting variety. Examples include repunched dates, doubled mintmarks, and other oddities, often visible without a magnifying glass.
Fivaz and Stanton point out the first places to quickly look on a coin for identification, and offer a guide to rarity and market values in several grades. Accompanying each variety is a narrative relating to its significance.
“The Cherrypickers’ Guide can easily pay for itself with a single educated cherrypick,” says Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker. “This edition covers many popular coin series with dramatic die varieties, including Lincoln cents and Buffalo nickels. Dealers and collectors should keep a copy handy at all times.”
The fifth edition continues the newly simplified Fivaz/Stanton numbering system introduced in the fourth edition, volume II. An appendix cross-references the old system, so collectors and dealers can bring their listings up to date.
The book will be available in December 2008.
= = =
About the authors: Bill Fivaz and J.T. Stanton are among the most familiar figures in the hobby today, active in seminars, talks, displays, articles in numismatic publications, and other activities. Fivaz, a past governor of the American Numismatic Association, is a two-time recipient of the ANA Medal of Merit, and has won the Farran Zerbe Award and many other numismatic honors. He recently served on the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, and is the author of Whitman’s United States Gold Counterfeit Detection Guide. Stanton has served as a director and president of CONECA, and as a governor of the ANA. A respected instructor at the ANA’s Summer Seminars, he is the recipient of the Medal of Merit, the Glen Smedley Award, and many other numismatic distinctions.
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I should list some "half cents through nickels" on ebay and say "I haven't received my cherrypicker's guide, 5th ed, vol 1, yet, but when I do, if any of these are listed in there, I reserve the right to pull any auction that has not already been purchased"
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
(or should I say "unsearched"?) bag of wheat cents, for example,
and gone through them with the Cherrypickers' Guide opened
up next to me to flip through.
I do have an old box of wheats --- maybe 1,000 or so --- that I
plan on sifting through with a loupe and a CPG.
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IMO, Just getting folks to LOOK at their coins beyond what they may think it grades is crucial to the hobby as only if someone really LOOKs can they begin to appreciate the series they are looking at. Looking also promotes understanding both in the minting processes but also in the die making processes to understand what happened for some of these varieties.
Waste of time? "Fool's Gold?" "Book for the Blind?"
I don't really think so since education is the real key to understanding coin collecting, especially in the variety arena.
As for the rarity aspects of CPG coins, one simply needs to start looking for some of those rarities to realize that the CPG is not that far off.
The name is LEE!
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Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
<< <i>I am not interested in this book, but it is nice to see that Whitman is keeping Joe the Printer in the USA busy.
Joe Pritner.
<< <i>I hear next year they will be changing the name of the guide to "Fool's Gold", but I did also hear about another possible title, "Help for the Blind".
The guide is a lazy man/woman's help manual, hard work/research is no substitute for what is contained in this manual. Just because these guys say it is rare doesn't always mean that it is. Kind of like the horse before the cart or visa versa theory, new collectors will rely blindly on what the authors say and will often lose out on the rarity aspect, ie it ain't that rare. Only solid research will tell you if something is rare. Of I remember now the new name of the book will be "Flippers Guide to Piles O Money from Money".
One point that JT made during the presentation for the new CPG at FUN in January was that the listings are not determined so much by rarity, but more toward availability. In his own words, what is the point of featuring coins that no one will ever have a chance to acquire. If you don't like the book, then by all means, don't buy it. Personally, I like it, and the same goes for JT. JMHO!
Chris
-Paul
I've been a CPG reader and customer since the second edition, but I honestly do not see myself purchasing this new edition. I greatly preferred when the book was positioned as an overview of major and/or popular varieties across all US denominations, with a particular focus on rarity and desirability and value. In a single volume it gave a generalist view of variety collecting, and if a collector became particularly enamored of Lincoln cents of Shield nickels of Washington quarters he was invited to seek out the more specialized publications, organizations and references related to those series. Starting with the third edition and culminating in the multi-volume fourth edition, there are just too many marginal and minor varieties included. Now you can add to that the influence of the PCGS Registry, and I really fear how that will affect what gets added to the fifth edition, which now sounds like it will encompass three volumes.
I sort of compare the CPG to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The original concept was to let in only the very best and brightest, but then they needed to add more members every year, and politicking and cronyism on the Veterans Committee got a few questionable members in, then standards started to slip as those players lowered the bar for comparison, and fan lobbies were built for their personal hometown favorites to be elected. Eventually you end up with a very overcrowded Hall of the Marginally Better Than Mediocre and Guys Who Played With the Right Team. No, thanks.
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
This book is a learning tool. The very least it is a great for learning how the various die states manifest themselves on the various series. The photographic detail is a great reference for comparison purposes.
This is book is not for people that have no concerns for such varieties.
There may be a legitimate concern in regards to the books rating of how rare a any given variety may be, I have always wondered this from the perspective of how one can physically survey the entire remaining population of any one coin, especially coins with large mintages. Couple this with fact that many coins of any given variety, despite being in collector's or dealer's hands, may not even be identified, means even a general survey would be faulty.
This would also lead one to the conclude that one's own private research could be very faulty in arriving at population rarity . Throw in the possiblity a hoard or number of smaller groups of coins that have been out the communiety's knowledge and its highly likely author or individual will have a wrong conclusion here and there.
<< <i>First of all - Dentuck, I realize you started this thread as a press release and not as a call for debate, so if you wish I will remove this post.
I've been a CPG reader and customer since the second edition, but I honestly do not see myself purchasing this new edition. I greatly preferred when the book was positioned as an overview of major and/or popular varieties across all US denominations, with a particular focus on rarity and desirability and value. In a single volume it gave a generalist view of variety collecting, and if a collector became particularly enamored of Lincoln cents of Shield nickels of Washington quarters he was invited to seek out the more specialized publications, organizations and references related to those series. Starting with the third edition and culminating in the multi-volume fourth edition, there are just too many marginal and minor varieties included. Now you can add to that the influence of the PCGS Registry, and I really fear how that will affect what gets added to the fifth edition, which now sounds like it will encompass three volumes.
I sort of compare the CPG to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The original concept was to let in only the very best and brightest, but then they needed to add more members every year, and politicking and cronyism on the Veterans Committee got a few questionable members in, then standards started to slip as those players lowered the bar for comparison, and fan lobbies were built for their personal hometown favorites to be elected. Eventually you end up with a very overcrowded Hall of the Marginally Better Than Mediocre and Guys Who Played With the Right Team. No, thanks.
Sean Reynolds >>
I can agree with Sean on a number of points but I also realize that Sean has a completely different perspective than say a new variety collector. Yes the CPG has grown to include a number of minor varities through politicking or whaever means but it also has quite a few not-so-minor varieties.
From my perspective, I find the CPG to be simply a "general overview" since given the numbers and limited space, most of the varieties listed encompass a single photo which may or may not be truely accurate. In cases like this, the reader has no alternative except to seek out more specialized documentation. The whgole point being that its a nice start to get folks to start LOOKING at what they have. For this, I think its a valuable tool.
Will I pick up this latest volume? Probably not since it does not cover that which I am most interested in. When what I am interested in becaomes available in a CPG update, my name will appear on some order list somewhere.
The name is LEE!
If you get interested and learn more you'll outgrow it fast but for collectors that aren't already into varieties and want the most basic info it's a good start.
Thanks!
1/2 Cents
U.S. Revenue Stamps
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso
What is the new number system -- and when will this book be released? I have already pre-ordered and am impatiently waiting for my order to arrive. Is the book printed yet?
...now back to work.
<< <i>Actually, I find the CPG's to be inspirational examples of exactly "what" to look for.
IMO, Just getting folks to LOOK at their coins beyond what they may think it grades is crucial to the hobby as only if someone really LOOKs can they begin to appreciate the series they are looking at. Looking also promotes understanding both in the minting processes but also in the die making processes to understand what happened for some of these varieties.
Waste of time? "Fool's Gold?" "Book for the Blind?"
I don't really think so since education is the real key to understanding coin collecting, especially in the variety arena.
As for the rarity aspects of CPG coins, one simply needs to start looking for some of those rarities to realize that the CPG is not that far off. >>
................i'm with you, lee
it will be my first cherrypicker's purchase
I can't wait
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Since I'm a Lincoln collector, I started there...only 13 new varieties added over the fouth edition and only 6 that were surprises, the others were 1990NoS, the Wide AMs, Proof Close AMs, 1992-D Close AM. Not any more detailed info on what was listed in last book.
Noticed quite a few conflicting NEW FS#s in the book compared to the NEW FS#s PCGS is using on their holders...Opps
edited to add Lincoln varieties
1910-S RPM #1
1930-D RPM #1
1964 DDR #20 CONECA #
1966 DDO #20 CONECA #
1969-D Missing FS (Designers Initials)
1982 Zinc Small Date DDR #2 CONECA #
1990 Proof No S
1992-D Close AM
1998 Wide AM
1999 Wide AM
1999 Proof Close AM
2000 Wide AM
2000 Proof Close AM
My Ebay
1934-1958 RB Lincoln Short Set
Lincoln Cent Resource says there is not much new since the last copy 4th edition since 2000
so i guess i'll hold off on ordering it - some even wrote to Whitman Press about it
LincolnCentResource Link
The Cherrypicker's Guide is by it's definition an overview of the the best varieties. If you are a specialist there will certainly be listings omitted that you will feel should be included, but then it becomes a definitive listing.
I guess some were too busy signing slabs of a bankrupt company to do the research for the book. I think I'll stick with my Wiles book!!
<< <i>Nothing new except a new numbering system, updated prices and new varieties. >>
The last new numbering system worked so well, they decided we needed a new new numbering system. I'm gonna need to crossref the new numbers with the new new numbers so I can crossref those with CONECA's numbers so I can figure out that 125-234.4 on a slab means the "Wide AM" variety. :slap: