The E-Sylum:  Volume 9, Number 46, November 12, 2006, Article 5

THOUGHTS ON THE FIRST EDITION RED BOOK

George Fuld writes: "When I noted the reprint of the Red Book first
edition, it reminded me of my early days.  I sold a complete set of
Red Books in my 1971 numismatic library auction.  However, my first
edition was purchased around 1946 when I was at the ripe old age of
14 and heavily involved in saving U.S. coins.  This was before I made
the venture to the 1947 ANA convention in Buffalo, where I got the
Civil War bug!!

How many of our old timers (except for Eric Newman) are still around
who purchased the Red Book when it first came out?"

Gary Dunaier writes: "I was also surprised to see that no one else
commented on the "Tribute Edition" reprint of the first Redbook.
I've been looking forward to it ever since the ad appeared in the
October 16 Coin World.  But I've also been surprised that there hasn't
been any follow-up anywhere... either in the coin press, in the E-Sylum
(until last week) or on Whitman's very own website, which doesn't list
the Tribute Edition.

I'm also interested in the signed edition... whose signature will it
bear?  [I assume this would be Ken Bressett, the current Red Book
editor.  -Editor]

I can't say what effect the reprint will have on the original...
I do know that its current price of $1,000 in VF (as per the 2007
Redbook) is waaaay out of my price range, so in my case it's not like
I would have bought an original had the Tribute Edition not come along.

Perhaps there might be one or two who, having bought the reprint,
are intrigued enough to start collecting the originals.

And, having quoted the Redbook as a source for the price of an
original first edition, I can also quote it in answering your quiz:
the first printing at the bottom of page 135 reads "the scarcity of
this date," while the second printing has "the scarcity of 1903 O."

Now I've got a question for YOU: which version will appear in the
Tribute Edition?"

[Gary's answer is correct.  As for the reprint, I assume this will
be of the first printing.  To get in the proper spirit of things,
perhaps copies of BOTH printings could be produced!  -Editor]

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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