As fragile as the broader publishing world seems these days (witness the dramatic bankruptcy and restructuring news from Borders and Barnes & Noble this past week), coin and paper-money collectors will enjoy a cornucopia of great new books from Whitman this year. My fingers are cramped from typing press releases!

The new Bowers gold dollar book, Rick Tomaska's opus on Franklin and Kennedy halves, a new edition of Friedberg's Guide Book of United States Paper Money, Robert Azpiazu's amazing reference on Federal Reserve Notes (which is already burning up our web site, and which I believe will be the equivalent of the next "Cherrypickers' Guide"), a soon-to-be-released "100 Greatest" book on modern coins (by Scott Schechter and Jeff Garrett), the 65th edition of the classic Red Book, The Secret History of the First U.S. Mint (Augsburger and Orosz), plus some landmark new works scheduled for this summer and fall..... it's a bumper crop.

Never mind the foibles of the rare-coin market; if you're a numismatic bibliomaniac, the BOOK MARKET is looking up all year.

In response to last week's article, JOHN SINNOCK AND THE PURPLE HEART, I believe there is one relevant fact that was omitted. While it was officially revived on Feb. 22, 1932, it could be awarded retroactively to April 5, 1917, the day before the United States entered World War I to any veteran who had been awarded the Meritorious Service Citation Certificate, Army Wound Ribbon, or were authorized to wear Wound Chevrons.

My grandfather had a purple heart as well as other medals awarded to him for his military service which ended soon after WWI. I have a few fragments of his service record (as well as the medals) and it is mentioned that he was entitled to wear the Wound Chevron and the Citation Star. I initially assumed thought that Wound Chevron and Citation Star were the official names of the Purple Heart and Silver Star Medals, both of which he had. It was only much more recently that I learned that the Purple Heart and Silver Star were not authorized until 1932, long after his service ended, but that they were retroactive.

I asked my mom recently if she knew anything about this (my grandfather long since deceased) and all she knows is that when she was a girl she remembers the father going to Hartford, I believe, and getting a couple of medals. I assume these were the Purple Heart and Silver Star.