DENNIS TUCKER ON THE HISTORY OF THE RED BOOK

A quick note about Susan Headley's article on Red Book collector Scott White: the first edition of the Red Book was actually published in November 1946, not in 1947. It was so late in the year that Whitman decided to give the book a 1947 cover date. Since that time, out of both tradition and necessity, the Red Book has had a cover date one year ahead of the chronological year.

The 1965 edition, also mentioned in the article, was actually published in 1964, rather than 1965. With 1,200,000 copies sold, that particular edition ranked ahead of Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People and John F. Kennedy's Profiles in Courage. I know a lot of this is old history for many E-Sylum readers, but I wanted to mention it for the record.

Incidentally, Ms. Headley is one of my favorite numismatic writers. I enjoy the "personality profiles" she's done on various numismatic folks, and her early coverage of China's modern-day counterfeiting factories was groundbreaking.

I would be remiss if I didn't remind E-Sylum readers about Frank Colletti's Guide Book of the Official Red Book of United States Coins, a history book and price guide for collecting Red Books. The autographed, limited-edition leatherbound volume has long since sold out, but the regular softcover can be found online, in bookstores, and through numismatic booksellers.

It's a fun read, chock full of numismatic bibliomaniacal history, and with more stories than the Empire State Building.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: ARTICLE SPOTLIGHTS RED BOOK COLLECTOR SCOTT WHITE (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n24a08.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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