Red Book questions

Opus · December 5, 2005 2:55AM

Along with collecting a gold type set and working on a Dansco 7070 album with my 10 year daughter, I collect the Red Books. In fact, I just completed my collection of books this morning. Just for my own curiosity, does any one know why a 1950 version was never published and why the combination years 1951/52 and 1954/55. BTW, there was also a 1955 (stand alone) version published.

Hope this is considered coin related. If not, feel free to berate me.

richbeat · December 5, 2005 3:56PM

We may never know the answer. Even an April 2005 COINage article on the red book failed to answer that question. Would Ken Bressett know? Even he might not know.

WaterSport · December 5, 2005 8:15PM

I have a complete also that I finished about three years ago. I always assumed the combination years were due to either higher printing cost or a demand for either time (to compile the data) or lack there of by collectors.

WS

291fifth · December 5, 2005 10:50PM

I seem to recall reading (source long forgotten) that the period around 1950 was a numismatic market low point. The book wasn't published because business was bad (and very probably, many of the previous year's editions remained unsold.)

BillJones · December 5, 2005 11:24PM

<< <i>I seem to recall reading (source long forgotten) that the period around 1950 was a numismatic market low point. The book wasn't published because business was bad (and very probably, many of the previous year's editions remained unsold.) >>

This is probably the best answer.

In “the old days” (for me the 1960’s) coin prices moved very slowly from year to year. The Gray Sheet only covered a limited a limited amount of stuff – mostly BU rolls from what I understand – and the “real collector coins” changed in value rather slowly for the most part. Each year the new edition of the Red Book would be eagerly awaited for the “new prices.”

Then around 1970, prices really took off and the market started moving at a much more rapid pace. I can remember dealers offering to pay “full current Red Book prices” for real collector coins during this period. From that time on, the Red Book lost more and more of its importance in the coin market.

Today it’s a source for mintages (which they some times get wrong because of typos) and general variety information. The pricing is about as useful as a year old edition of the Wall Street Journal is for stocks and bonds.

carl · December 5, 2005 11:43PM

That's what I like about this forum, I learn stuff all the time. I too collect the Red Book but my collection starts at the 1955, 8th Edition. I never even noticed the missing 1950 edition. Thanks for noting that or I would have been looking for it for ever. I just looked at page 392 in the latest edition and sure enough the list shows no such edition. There isn't even a missing edition number where that 1950 would have been. If my memory serves me correct and usually it dosen't, but way back then I remember that because the Red Book came out late in one year someone decided to name them 1951/52, then52/53, 53/54, 54/55 but then came out with the 55 edition during the year of 55. I sort of remeber you couldn't buy the latest version until early in the years back then. I bought all mine to collect so never opened most of them and always bought a second one to actually use which I gave to a friend when the next edition came out. I've just got to finish this collection some day. Maybe I'll find a counterfeit 1950 version somewhere.

Steve · December 5, 2005 11:54PM

My recallection is the same as Carl's. I think back in the early days the Red Book was published at a later time, maybe into the new year. Now, it is published in July for the next year. So somewhere along the way, they had to eliminate one year. In the interum they used dual dates for a few years in the 1950's. That probably equated to publishing in mid year like they do now. If they continued that pattern, the current edition would be 2005/2006. Steve

Opus · December 6, 2005 12:21AM

In case anyone is interested, here are what some of the books have been selling for on Ebay:

Year Price Date
1947 $314.17 18-Nov-05
1947 $482.50 4-Dec-04
1947 $350.00 4-Dec-05
1948 $150.00 4-Dec-05
1948 $150.00 4-Dec-05
1949 $112.57 30-Oct-05
1949 $431.01 4-Dec-05
1949 $119.95 5-Dec-05
1949 $119.95 5-Dec-05
1951 $23.50 30-Oct-05
1951 $202.50 4-Dec-05
1953 $122.50 20-Nov-05
1953 $44.95 5-Dec-05
1954 $25.50 1-Dec-05
1954 $35.99 12-Nov-05
1955 $14.83 30-Oct-05
1956 $76.95 4-Dec-05
1956 $49.00 4-Dec-05
1957 $36.00 12-Nov-05
1957 $7.99 5-Oct-05
1958 $9.38 30-Oct-05
1959 $20.55 11-Oct-05
1959 $8.30 4-Dec-05
1977 $125.00 5-Dec-05 Sign by RS Yeoman
1997 $123.51 4-Dec-05 Limited Edition (1200)

Red Book questions

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