The 64th edition Red Book ships this week!
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64th Edition Red Book Features More Photos, Expanded Information
The 2011 (64th) edition of A Guide Book of United States Coins (known to collectors as the “Red Book”) includes many new features, plus dozens of additions to the book’s 1,800-plus color photographs. The new edition ships April 6th, and can be found online and in bookstores and hobby shops nationwide.
Bullion Movement Reflected
“The hobby has been very active, and as always the Red Book reflects that activity,” says longtime editor Kenneth Bressett. He cites as an example the “Bullion Values of Gold Coins” in appendix C. “In the 63rd edition we charted gold from $675 to $1,100. Because gold has been so active, affecting many areas of the hobby, this year we’ve charted it from $925 to $1,450.”
Additional Photographs
Sections that have additional photographs include Lincoln cents, Capped Bust dimes, Morgan dollars, Washington quarters, modern dollars, and commemoratives. The “Misstrikes and Errors” appendix includes new photographs including a clipped-planchet Liberty Head nickel; a multiple-strike Pennsylvania state quarter; Washington quarter and Lincoln cent cuds; an off-center Flying Eagle cent; and a Franklin half dollar struck on a nickel planchet.
Expansions in the Pre-Federal Section
A section that has seen expansion with additional information is “Pre-Federal Issues,” which covers colonial and post-colonial coins and tokens as well as Continental dollars and other early contract issues and patterns. “The colonial and Revolutionary eras are rich fields for exploration,” says Red Book research editor Q. David Bowers, whose Whitman Encyclopedia of Colonial and Early American Coins won “Best Specialized Book of the Year, U.S. Coins” from the Numismatic Literary Guild. Because so many new hobbyists are starting to collect these early American coins, the 64th-edition Red Book has expanded its pricing in lower- to middle-range grades. “Good and Very Good are popular collectible grades for these old coppers, and affordable for the beginner,” Bowers notes. The 64th edition includes 110 more pre-federal prices than the 63rd, in addition to text updated with recent research.
Classic Commemoratives Priced in Higher Grades
In the “Commemoratives” section, the 64th edition includes new photographs, as well as information on the latest U.S. Mint offerings, and updated mintage data. In addition, classic commemoratives are now priced up to grade MS-66. “The 63rd edition stopped at MS-65,” says Red Book valuations editor Jeff Garrett, “but many serious collectors seek the classic commems of 1892 to 1954 in higher Mint State grades.” The addition of the higher-grade pricing covers 109 early commemorative coins and sets.
Bullion Updated, Including Reverse of 2007
The “Bullion” section includes updated information and photographs for the U.S. Mint’s latest issues, including, for the first time, a listing for the 2008W burnished American Silver Eagle with the reverse of 2007. “This is a variety that has excited modern-coin and bullion collectors,” says editor Bressett. “It’s easily discernible to the unaided eye, and it represents a significant design variety. We’ve been watching its market activity and collector interest, and decided it’s time to include it in the Red Book.”
Modern Issues Updated
New content has been added to cover the 2009 Lincoln cent designs, the 2010 “Union Shield” reverse cent, the Native American “Great Law of Peace” dollar, National Park quarters, Presidential dollars, and First Spouse gold bullion coins. Mintage figures have also been updated as currently as possible with official data from the U.S. Mint.
The Top 250 Coin Auction Prices
In addition to the 64th Red Book’s nearly 33,000 individual coin prices in up to nine grades per series, Appendix D showcases the Top 250 Auction Prices for U.S. coins. “We’ve tracked auctions through early 2010,” says valuations editor Garrett, who noted a jump of nearly $12,000 compared to the 63rd edition’s chart. “Last year’s 250-ranked coin sold for $345,000,” Garrett said. “To make it onto this year’s list, the 250-ranked coin (a variety of 1817 half dollar) sold for $356,500.” Garrett also noted that 6 more individual coins broke the $1 million mark at auction, for a total of 40.
In addition to the Top 250 Auction Prices, the 64th edition’s coin-by-coin charts include more than two dozen new auction records for significant rarities among colonial, early copper, silver, and gold coins.
Ongoing Upgrades
“To keep up with modern coins, we’ve added pages to Small Cents; Silver and Related Dollars; Commemoratives; and Bullion,” says Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker. “With each new Red Book, we look for ways to make small but valuable editorial improvements. For example, in the 64th edition’s table of contents, we’ve inserted date ranges for each coin type. This might seem minor to an experienced collector, but it’s very helpful and informative for beginners.”
Appendix B, “Collectible Red and Blue Books,” has been expanded with more details, including more pricing for early Blue Books. Coverage of recent collectible Red Books includes the 2010 Large Print Edition, and the limited-print-run Philadelphia Expo edition (valued at $50).
The Red Book’s numismatic bibliography continues to be updated with current literature, to aid in further research. Its 129 listings include more than a dozen references published from 2008 to 2010.
About the Guide Book of United States Coins
A Guide Book of United States Coins is the world’s most popular annual retail price guide for U.S. coins, tokens, and other numismatic items. More than 22 million copies have been purchased since 1946, making it one of the best-selling nonfiction titles in the history of U.S. publishing.
For the 64th edition, more than 140 professional coin dealers, scholars, and other numismatic experts contributed their knowledge under the direction of editor Kenneth Bressett, valuations editor Jeff Garrett, and research editor Q. David Bowers.
The 64th edition of the Red Book is available online and at bookstores and hobby shops nationwide. It can also be borrowed for free from the library of the American Numismatic Association (www.money.org). In addition to a Large Print Edition and several formats of the regular edition, Whitman Publishing is also taking pre-orders for the leather-bound Limited Edition (1,500 copies autographed by Bressett).
The 2011 (64th) edition of A Guide Book of United States Coins (known to collectors as the “Red Book”) includes many new features, plus dozens of additions to the book’s 1,800-plus color photographs. The new edition ships April 6th, and can be found online and in bookstores and hobby shops nationwide.
Bullion Movement Reflected
“The hobby has been very active, and as always the Red Book reflects that activity,” says longtime editor Kenneth Bressett. He cites as an example the “Bullion Values of Gold Coins” in appendix C. “In the 63rd edition we charted gold from $675 to $1,100. Because gold has been so active, affecting many areas of the hobby, this year we’ve charted it from $925 to $1,450.”
Additional Photographs
Sections that have additional photographs include Lincoln cents, Capped Bust dimes, Morgan dollars, Washington quarters, modern dollars, and commemoratives. The “Misstrikes and Errors” appendix includes new photographs including a clipped-planchet Liberty Head nickel; a multiple-strike Pennsylvania state quarter; Washington quarter and Lincoln cent cuds; an off-center Flying Eagle cent; and a Franklin half dollar struck on a nickel planchet.
Expansions in the Pre-Federal Section
A section that has seen expansion with additional information is “Pre-Federal Issues,” which covers colonial and post-colonial coins and tokens as well as Continental dollars and other early contract issues and patterns. “The colonial and Revolutionary eras are rich fields for exploration,” says Red Book research editor Q. David Bowers, whose Whitman Encyclopedia of Colonial and Early American Coins won “Best Specialized Book of the Year, U.S. Coins” from the Numismatic Literary Guild. Because so many new hobbyists are starting to collect these early American coins, the 64th-edition Red Book has expanded its pricing in lower- to middle-range grades. “Good and Very Good are popular collectible grades for these old coppers, and affordable for the beginner,” Bowers notes. The 64th edition includes 110 more pre-federal prices than the 63rd, in addition to text updated with recent research.
Classic Commemoratives Priced in Higher Grades
In the “Commemoratives” section, the 64th edition includes new photographs, as well as information on the latest U.S. Mint offerings, and updated mintage data. In addition, classic commemoratives are now priced up to grade MS-66. “The 63rd edition stopped at MS-65,” says Red Book valuations editor Jeff Garrett, “but many serious collectors seek the classic commems of 1892 to 1954 in higher Mint State grades.” The addition of the higher-grade pricing covers 109 early commemorative coins and sets.
Bullion Updated, Including Reverse of 2007
The “Bullion” section includes updated information and photographs for the U.S. Mint’s latest issues, including, for the first time, a listing for the 2008W burnished American Silver Eagle with the reverse of 2007. “This is a variety that has excited modern-coin and bullion collectors,” says editor Bressett. “It’s easily discernible to the unaided eye, and it represents a significant design variety. We’ve been watching its market activity and collector interest, and decided it’s time to include it in the Red Book.”
Modern Issues Updated
New content has been added to cover the 2009 Lincoln cent designs, the 2010 “Union Shield” reverse cent, the Native American “Great Law of Peace” dollar, National Park quarters, Presidential dollars, and First Spouse gold bullion coins. Mintage figures have also been updated as currently as possible with official data from the U.S. Mint.
The Top 250 Coin Auction Prices
In addition to the 64th Red Book’s nearly 33,000 individual coin prices in up to nine grades per series, Appendix D showcases the Top 250 Auction Prices for U.S. coins. “We’ve tracked auctions through early 2010,” says valuations editor Garrett, who noted a jump of nearly $12,000 compared to the 63rd edition’s chart. “Last year’s 250-ranked coin sold for $345,000,” Garrett said. “To make it onto this year’s list, the 250-ranked coin (a variety of 1817 half dollar) sold for $356,500.” Garrett also noted that 6 more individual coins broke the $1 million mark at auction, for a total of 40.
In addition to the Top 250 Auction Prices, the 64th edition’s coin-by-coin charts include more than two dozen new auction records for significant rarities among colonial, early copper, silver, and gold coins.
Ongoing Upgrades
“To keep up with modern coins, we’ve added pages to Small Cents; Silver and Related Dollars; Commemoratives; and Bullion,” says Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker. “With each new Red Book, we look for ways to make small but valuable editorial improvements. For example, in the 64th edition’s table of contents, we’ve inserted date ranges for each coin type. This might seem minor to an experienced collector, but it’s very helpful and informative for beginners.”
Appendix B, “Collectible Red and Blue Books,” has been expanded with more details, including more pricing for early Blue Books. Coverage of recent collectible Red Books includes the 2010 Large Print Edition, and the limited-print-run Philadelphia Expo edition (valued at $50).
The Red Book’s numismatic bibliography continues to be updated with current literature, to aid in further research. Its 129 listings include more than a dozen references published from 2008 to 2010.
About the Guide Book of United States Coins
A Guide Book of United States Coins is the world’s most popular annual retail price guide for U.S. coins, tokens, and other numismatic items. More than 22 million copies have been purchased since 1946, making it one of the best-selling nonfiction titles in the history of U.S. publishing.
For the 64th edition, more than 140 professional coin dealers, scholars, and other numismatic experts contributed their knowledge under the direction of editor Kenneth Bressett, valuations editor Jeff Garrett, and research editor Q. David Bowers.
The 64th edition of the Red Book is available online and at bookstores and hobby shops nationwide. It can also be borrowed for free from the library of the American Numismatic Association (www.money.org). In addition to a Large Print Edition and several formats of the regular edition, Whitman Publishing is also taking pre-orders for the leather-bound Limited Edition (1,500 copies autographed by Bressett).
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Comments
I have mixed feelings about the Red Book. While it's easy to recommend to a beginning collector, given all the basic information it has, by the time "new" info is added to it, we've known it here for a year or more. I find it hard to get excited about it as an annual new release. Adding MS66 to classic commems? Wow. Have they started charting values of Morgan dollars with PL surfaces yet?
I wonder how long before exploding numbers of modern issues bloat it up to SCWC proportions.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
Edit to add: Needless to say I plan on picking up a copy.
<< <i>I enjoy the Redbook as a handy 'first resource' for checking items that may be in question or for providing answers to less experienced collectors. I often recommend it as a 'first purchase' to people who are just getting interested in coins. It serves as a platform for their numismatic interests at a reasonable cost for what (to them) is encyclopeadic knowledge. Cheers, RickO >>
<< <i>For experts like you, John, there's the Professional Edition Red Book! >>
I haven't purchased one of these yet- what update schedule is it on?
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
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Steve
<< <i>I enjoy the Redbook as a handy 'first resource' for checking items that may be in question or for providing answers to less experienced collectors. I often recommend it as a 'first purchase' to people who are just getting interested in coins. It serves as a platform for their numismatic interests at a reasonable cost for what (to them) is encyclopeadic knowledge. Cheers, RickO >>
<< <i>Expansions in the Pre-Federal Section >>
<< <i>64th Edition Red Book Features More Photos, Expanded Information
Bullion Updated, Including Reverse of 2007
The “Bullion” section includes updated information and photographs for the U.S. Mint’s latest issues, including, for the first time, a listing for the 2008W burnished American Silver Eagle with the reverse of 2007. “This is a variety that has excited modern-coin and bullion collectors,” says editor Bressett. “It’s easily discernible to the unaided eye, and it represents a significant design variety. We’ve been watching its market activity and collector interest, and decided it’s time to include it in the Red Book.”
>>
WOO HOO ! ! !
1947-P & D; 1948-D; 1949-P & S; 1950-D & S; and 1952-S.
Any help locating any of these OBW rolls would be gratefully appreciated!