Numismatic Library
coinkat
Posts: 24,344 ✭✭✭✭✭
I was looking through some of books and related numismatic published guides and lists. Among them include B. Max Mehl catalogs from 1925, 1927, 1930 and 1935; A Standard Price List of U S Coins 1939 from Wayne Raymond; the Fifth Edition to the Blue Book (1945) and the Second Edition to the Red Book (1948). While none these publications are rare, it is amazing the insight they provide as sort of a collecting time capsule reflective of the times. And I was surprised to see that in the 1945 Blue Book, Trade Dollars were listed in Good as well as Fine for less than One Dollar… I believe the reason for this would be that they were demonetized. But still… under One Dollar?? And trying to find a coin- except a gold coin- that had a value of over $10 was next to impossible. And to put it all in perspective, even the 1893-s Morgan was priced at a $1 and $1.25 in Fine.
I suppose the LaSalle did run great…
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Comments
Those were the days, my friend....
And getting catalogs via snail mail and the rest took care of itself. The internet sure cut alot of time off that as well
Look at the key date Lincoln cents.
Lincoln keys: 5th Edition Blue Book 1945/46
Good. Fine
1909-s. .25 .50
1909-s vdb 2.25 5.00
1914-d .75 1.75
1922 no d .75 1.25
Red Book 2nd Edition 1948
Fine Unc
1909-s 1.00. 4.00
09-s VDB 10.00 16.00
1914-d. 4.50 15.00
1922 no d good 2.50 VG 3.50
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
The oldest Red Book I have is the 1963 but it's been in storage for years. To my recollection, the biggest thing that stands out to me is the relative prices between 60's circulating design key and semi-key dates vs. other coins which have since left it in the dust price wise.
The above examples exploded in value by 1965. I think the 09-S VDB was $335 in "UNC".