Much has changed in the numismatic market since the first edition of this book went to print 20 years ago, particularly in connection with the 20th century gold series. Third-party certification has now become the industry standard for authentication and grading. The Internet has made numismatic research considerably easier and has made information readily available to anyone with access to a personal computer. And, of course, many important collections of 20th century U.S. gold coins have sold during the 20-year period from 1988 to 2008. Clearly, an update and revision were definitely in order.

Much of the information and conclusions that Akers incorporated into the first edition of this book remain, nonetheless, principal among which is his decision to exclude the circulated grades from the book Additionally, Akers comments about the popularity and rarity of the four 20th century U.S. gold series are still valid in the numismatic market of the 21st century.