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"100 Greatest U.S. Modern Coins" -- new book
Dentuck
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Whitman Publishing announces the release of 100 Greatest U.S. Modern Coins, by Scott Schechter and Jeff Garrett. In this beautifully illustrated book, two celebrated numismatists take the reader on a guided tour of the circulating, bullion, and commemorative issues so avidly sought by collectors today. The book will be available in late February 2011. Members of the American Numismatic Association can borrow it for free from the Dwight N. Manley Numismatic Library.
100 Greatest U.S. Modern Coins is the eighth entry in Whitman Publishing’s 100 Greatest™ library. Preceding books showcase coins, paper money, medals and tokens, comic books, and stamps.
“The 100 Greatest were selected and ranked by the authors with input from leading coin dealers, researchers, and collectors, and a survey of current journals and periodicals,” said Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker.
Inside the reader will find prized and seldom-seen rarities—the scarce and high-valued pieces that collectors dream about. Some are die varieties, like the 1969-S doubled-die obverse Lincoln cent and various “No S” Proof coins. Some are errors, like the famous 2000 Sacagawea dollar / Washington quarter mule. A few are coins that shouldn’t exist, like the 1974 aluminum Lincoln cent and the mysterious 1964 Special Mint Set coinage. And many are coins with small mintages or poor distribution, or that saw low initial interest from collectors—factors that make them scarce and popular today.
The book also explores more readily available coins: pieces so beautiful or with such important and fascinating stories that everybody wants one. The 1999-S silver Proof Delaware quarter, the 1996-W Roosevelt dime, the 1983-P Washington quarter, the 1982 Washington commemorative half dollar, and dozens more are pictured in bold full color, with their stories told in engaging detail.
The book includes forewords by numismatic legends Kenneth Bressett and Q. David Bowers. An illustrated introduction answers the question, “What are modern coins?” (As a starting point, Schechter and Garrett discuss 1964 as a pivotal year for modern coinage.) The introduction also covers methods of modern coin manufacture and packaging; the differences between varieties and errors; how modern coins are graded; and how the 100 Greatest were chosen and ranked.
Throughout the book, Schechter and Garrett describe how to collect and enjoy U.S. modern coins, aspects of the marketplace, and smart buying.
Ken Bressett, longtime editor of the best-selling Guide Book of United States Coins, calls the book “compelling.” In his foreword he wrote, “You will be not only fascinated by the coins, but also thrilled to know that some can actually be found in your pocket change. They disprove the axiom that all the good coins are gone from circulation.”
Q. David Bowers, the “Dean of American Numismatics,” in his foreword wrote about the hobby’s growing passion for die varieties, the rebirth of the U.S. commemorative coin program, and other aspects of modern collecting. “I enjoyed reading about my own favorite coins,” he said, “but also came to appreciate many I had overlooked.”
Various Reverse Proof bullion pieces, the “Cheerios” Sacagawea dollar, the 2009 Ultra High Relief double eagle, Wisconsin’s “Extra Leaf” state quarters, “Godless” Presidential dollars, Speared Bisons, and more await the reader of 100 Greatest U.S. Modern Coins.
The book is coffee-table-size, 128 pages, in full color, with photographs and stories for every coin. It also includes market values, field populations, certified-coin census reports, quantities minted, specifications, and design notes.
100 Greatest U.S. Modern Coins is the eighth entry in Whitman Publishing’s 100 Greatest™ library. Preceding books showcase coins, paper money, medals and tokens, comic books, and stamps.
“The 100 Greatest were selected and ranked by the authors with input from leading coin dealers, researchers, and collectors, and a survey of current journals and periodicals,” said Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker.
Inside the reader will find prized and seldom-seen rarities—the scarce and high-valued pieces that collectors dream about. Some are die varieties, like the 1969-S doubled-die obverse Lincoln cent and various “No S” Proof coins. Some are errors, like the famous 2000 Sacagawea dollar / Washington quarter mule. A few are coins that shouldn’t exist, like the 1974 aluminum Lincoln cent and the mysterious 1964 Special Mint Set coinage. And many are coins with small mintages or poor distribution, or that saw low initial interest from collectors—factors that make them scarce and popular today.
The book also explores more readily available coins: pieces so beautiful or with such important and fascinating stories that everybody wants one. The 1999-S silver Proof Delaware quarter, the 1996-W Roosevelt dime, the 1983-P Washington quarter, the 1982 Washington commemorative half dollar, and dozens more are pictured in bold full color, with their stories told in engaging detail.
The book includes forewords by numismatic legends Kenneth Bressett and Q. David Bowers. An illustrated introduction answers the question, “What are modern coins?” (As a starting point, Schechter and Garrett discuss 1964 as a pivotal year for modern coinage.) The introduction also covers methods of modern coin manufacture and packaging; the differences between varieties and errors; how modern coins are graded; and how the 100 Greatest were chosen and ranked.
Throughout the book, Schechter and Garrett describe how to collect and enjoy U.S. modern coins, aspects of the marketplace, and smart buying.
Ken Bressett, longtime editor of the best-selling Guide Book of United States Coins, calls the book “compelling.” In his foreword he wrote, “You will be not only fascinated by the coins, but also thrilled to know that some can actually be found in your pocket change. They disprove the axiom that all the good coins are gone from circulation.”
Q. David Bowers, the “Dean of American Numismatics,” in his foreword wrote about the hobby’s growing passion for die varieties, the rebirth of the U.S. commemorative coin program, and other aspects of modern collecting. “I enjoyed reading about my own favorite coins,” he said, “but also came to appreciate many I had overlooked.”
Various Reverse Proof bullion pieces, the “Cheerios” Sacagawea dollar, the 2009 Ultra High Relief double eagle, Wisconsin’s “Extra Leaf” state quarters, “Godless” Presidential dollars, Speared Bisons, and more await the reader of 100 Greatest U.S. Modern Coins.
The book is coffee-table-size, 128 pages, in full color, with photographs and stories for every coin. It also includes market values, field populations, certified-coin census reports, quantities minted, specifications, and design notes.
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Comments
<< <i>The book is coffee-table-size >>
Apparently the double-elephant folio size. That is a big book
The name is LEE!
<< <i>
<< <i>The book is coffee-table-size >>
Apparently the double-elephant folio size. That is a big book
It's literally the size of a coffee table. They're going to be installed in Starbucks throughout the city.
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>The book is coffee-table-size >>
Apparently the double-elephant folio size. That is a big book
It's literally the size of a coffee table. They're going to be installed in Starbucks throughout the city. >>
Now all you need is to put Starbuck's gift cards in each copy!
Was it 1964?
<< <i>So what was the cutoff for "Modern?"
Was it 1964? >>
Just goes to show that numismatics has its own definitions for cultural artifacts than other fields. Cultural studies generally marks the modern era beginning with the Armory Show in 1913, where James Earle Fraser displayed a relief of his Indian head nickel design and one for a Lincoln bust.
1964, on the other hand, and in the view of cultural studies, is in the postmodern era, and the year prior to the introduction of copper nickel clad coins, which was quite an abstraction. From there we went to spaghetti hair Washington quarters and now back to the 1909 original cent designs by Victor D. Brenner on a coin that has become single use that costs double its face value to produce. We are rapidly spinning towards pure virtuality.
<< <i>So what was the cutoff for "Modern?"
Was it 1964? >>
1964 was included.
<< <i>How did you find 100? The Lincoln cent portrait is certainly not "great" unless you are a haberdasher or men’s clothier. >>
Big Bowtie --- the military/sartorial complex that Eisenhower so eloquently warned against --- is a surprisingly influential player in the rare-coin market.
<< <i>Uhmmm...are we soon to have the "Hundred Greatest Bow Ties on Coins" for our coffee tables? >>
LOL! Without a doubt someone, somewhere, is compiling just such a collection.
<< <i>How about the "One Hundred Ugliest US Coin Designs" .... That should be a mulligan. >>
Wow!
Do you think you could manage to limit that to just hundred, RWB?
With the explosion of new mint products every year, and dearth of imagination among some of the people who design U.S. coins, that book could become one of the biggest and thickest coffee table books in creation. Shall we start with some of the presidential portraits that appear on the dollar coins? Some of the commemorative coins would be in the running too starting with the beheaded bodies on those Olympic silver dollars.
This new book could be worth a look, especially if it has some accurate ratity estimates in it.
I knew it would happen.
<< <i>
<< <i>So what was the cutoff for "Modern?"
Was it 1964? >>
1964 was included. >>
So, since you have presumably seen the book, what was EX-cluded?
1963?
1942?
Where was the cutoff?
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>So what was the cutoff for "Modern?"
Was it 1964? >>
1964 was included. >>
So, since you have presumably seen the book, what was EX-cluded?
1963?
1942?
Where was the cutoff? >>
The answer may have been intentionally vague, since future books on so-called moderns, depending, may have dates either pre- or post- 1964.
"There is a very simple definition of modern U.S. coinage," they write in the introduction, "which is a good starting point: modern U.S. coins are those struck from 1964 to date. All the coins described in 100 Greatest U.S. Modern Coins fall within this time period. The reader need go no further to have a very serviceable and accurate definition."
Naturally, the authors do go further, in the ~3,500-word introduction, in expanding on that definition and what separates "modern" coins from others.
Edited to add: The cutoff date was 2011 --- absolutely nothing minted past 2011 allowed in this edition of the book.
<< <i>modern U.S. coins are those struck from 1964 to date. >>
So, the 1964-D Peace dollar would be considered modern, if it were a legitimate coin.
<< <i>
<< <i>modern U.S. coins are those struck from 1964 to date. >>
So, the 1964-D Peace dollar would be considered modern, if it were a legitimate coin. >>
LOL! You just guaranteed this post will go beyond 1,000.
<< <i>The answer may have been intentionally vague, since future books on so-called moderns, depending, may have dates either pre- or post- 1964. >>
I would agree with this. I personally would think of a Lincoln Memorial cent minted in 1959 as more of a "modern" than a Franklin minted in 1963. And I'd consider all Jeffersons (except for the wartime composition type) to be "moderns" going all the way back to 1938.
Anyone who follows the modern markets needs to have a feel for what other
people know and what thy are reading. I'm sure most of my favorite moderns
won't be mentioned but this really isn't the point.
If everyone knew what moderns were scarce and rare it would get pretty tough
to find the best bargains. Of course if everyone knew then so would I so it's
always a tradeoff.
Now get cracking on the copper book.
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)
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
<< <i>How does one come up with '100 greatest' post-1964 U. S. coins? By including error coins? >>
There are way too many to count. At the risk of waxing poetic there are just thousands of
great coins that could be included and likely some that haven't even been discovered yet.
One that they actually chose is the 1983-P quarter. While I find this coin fascinating it is mostly
only fascinating because it reflects the trends and beliefs that existed in 1983. In those days
common high grade morgan dollars were all the rage. For the first time quality was being a
prime consideration in not only the value of a coin but its very collectability. Silver dollars
that could be bought for 4 or $5 in 1977 were being bid up to unheard of levels just because
they were gemmy or supurb. Hearing of common coins that had sat in government vaults un-
til a few years earlier being driven up to prices in the four or even five digit range created some
rather heady times . Reagan was in office and the era of greed was just getting underway
but so too was cost cutting and government waste. Somehow mint set production had been
tagged as a waste which isn't so absurd considering no on really cared about any of the coins
in these sets and most were sold because there wasn't much else the mint sold in those days.
While mint set quality greatly exceeded the quality of regular issue coins no one even noticed
So when production ceased in 1982 there was no outcry and people just turned to the new
products that were available for th first time in many years. No one thought of setting aside
circulating coinage because there were no collectors of circulating coinage. In those days you
could be kicked out of a coin shop for announcing you collected circulating coins. It just sounded
so absurd that most figured it was downright unamerican. As absurd as collecting these coins
was the only thing more absurd was caring about the quality of the coins. These '83-P quarters
were made very poorly and then scratched up and there was simply no need for anyone to no-
tice. Oh, in actuality saving of rolls soared in '82 and '83 but it soared from a very pathetic to-
tal to a somewhat higher pathetic number. Probably something on the order of 80,000 coins
were set aside. Then when it was discovered how scarce they were there were another quar-
ter million AU's and XF's taken from circulation which still survive. Indeed, this is the oldest date
that can still be found with some regularity in XF in circulation because so many have been pull-
ed out and then released again.
As people cast about looking for the next series that would become valuable in high grade they
just didn't seem to see anything other than later date US silver coins especially including mercury
dimes and walking liberty halfs. It did spread into all the obsolete series after the formation of
PCGS in 1986 which established a benchmark for quality and a means for people to find it. In-
dians, buffalos, and any series with enough gems to count became subject to soaring prices on
the high grades after this.
But 1983 was not only the days before grading services but also before computers and eBay. It
was still impossible to put together sets of moderns while sitting at home and finding nice qual-
ity '83-P quarters was a herculean task since even finding rejects was extremely difficult. And of
course almost every specimen found would be a reject. If it weren't for companies like Numisma-
tic News and Paul and Judy's Coins of Arcola, Illinois as well as a handfull of individuals seeking
the coins there would be almost nothing to fill the date slot of collectors today except for typical
uncs and AU's. There won't be more of these in the future and as time goes by they will continue
to suffer normal attrition. This attrition will be much higher on these since they're only $40 coins
then it will be on old rarities which tend to be far better protected. They look like any other clad
quarter so many lost specimens will simply end up in circulation where this won't happen with a
rare bust quarter.
Sorry, but limiting the greatest moderns to a mere 100 coins would be almost stifling for me. Many
of the best in my series alone may prove to not even exist. If someone just wants a nice choice
Unc complete set of clad quarters there are just at least four coins that won't exist, probably, in
such a high grade. The '71-D and '72-D DDR's are unknown in unc and this won't change. There
is a single 1964 coin and it's beautiful but only high end AU. The '77-P type "d" reverse probably
doesn't exist in unc. The early type "b's are going to be rare in unc and choice examples might not
exist for every date. There are mules which will probably exist in no better than XF. Try finding a
true superb gem 1982-P if you want something to stay busy.
If you don't restrict yourself to US coins there are thousands more rare and highly desirable mod-
erns that deserve recognition.
I've told people for decades that the day will come when people want to collect what we call moderns
just like they were real coins. For many people the distinction between modern and classic has been
breaking down and for most newer collectors there never was much of a distinction.
Everything changes. Time flies.
I'll take Books for $100 Alex
A: "100 Greatest U.S. Modern Coins"
Q: What's the world's thinnest book?
<< <i> Following cladking's logic makes everything "great." >>
That works fine for me.
Just as classic collectors feel all their collectable coins are great, I feel the same about modern collectable coins.
Just because most 1966 quarters were poorly made and the 45% which survive are typically VG and often culls
doesn't make a proof '66 quarter pocket change. Well, maybe one is truly proof but it can't be positively proven.
<< <i>Let's play Jeopardy:
I'll take Books for $100 Alex
A: "100 Greatest U.S. Modern Coins"
Q: What's the world's thinnest book? >>
LOL!
Longacre settled into his overstuffed library chair and flipped open the latest coffee-table book. "Now, let's see what the good ladies and gentleman at Whitman Publishing have to say about the 100 greatest U.S. modern coins!" he said out loud, even though it was just him and Consuelo, who as always stood quietly in the shadows, cigars and port at the ready.
He flipped a page. Then another.
"What the --- ?!"
The entire book --- every page, front to back --- was clean, blank, white. Not a single word. Not a single photograph.
"Ah, I see the implication!" he chuckled. "There are no great modern coins. It's a bit of an 'inside joke,' if you will." He sipped from his snifter of brandy.
"Still, I wish they hadn't charged me $29.95 for that little chuckle."
www.brunkauctions.com
Sometimes the term "experts" in the coin industry is used a bit too loosely methinks.
I had about an hour long conversation with Scott today, who, from what I could determine, was the primary decision maker on which coins were included in the book. First, Scott is a very bright guy; it was a pleasure "talking moderns" with him today. Scott explained to me the basis behind many of the entries in the rankings. He made it clear to me that the rankings have very little to do with the values or rarity of the coins. He hopes collectors buy these specific modern coins and for collectors to be able to purchase many of them on a limited budget. For example, one of the coins that is ranked in the "top 10" is a coin worth roughly $50 or $75. My unique 1976 NO S Ike Dollar is ranked behind many coins, including at least two or three worth only roughly $2,500-$3,000 or less. He told me just one Gold Eagle and one Platinum eagle were selected for this book. So, at least I now understand that this book has less to do with ranking the value of the "great" modern coins and more to do with identifying some of the more popular modern coins to own and ranking very popular coins very highly. Had the book had a chance to see the frenzy with the ATB coins going on right now, I assume these coins would have been ranked very high in the book (I suspect we should watch for the 2nd edition for that to possibly happen). I got the impression the book will help dealers sell coins to collectors and, in many cases, coins where there is ample supply to grade with the grading services. The "popular" coins with the collecting public overall, get ranked high and, quite posisbly lead to getting even more popular as more people want them after reading the book and can afford them. Now that I know the authors "bias" and intentions, I can buy a copy of the book and read it for what it is.
Again, these are just my personal impressions of the book after speaking with Scott today. Of course, I will form a more concrete impression of the book after I read it.
Wondercoin