BOOK REVIEW: COIN WORLD ALMANAC, 8TH EDITION

The latest, eighth, edition of the Coin World Almanac arrived in the mail yesterday, August 13th. Hardly time for a full scale analysis or review, but occasion for a number of comments.

It has been eleven years since the last, 7th -- Millennium Edition. But one wonders how editor Beth Deisher and her crew have the time to prepare the latest almanac with her enhanced publication schedule of an increased number of publications with large size issues, even with an eleven year hiatus.

I hold the Coin World Almanac in high regard. When the Numismatic Bibliomania Society held a survey of the 100 Greatest American Numismatic books, the CW Almanac was noticeably absent. I wrote a Contrarian View of this Survey. Published in The Asylum (Spring 2009) where I listed my top 25 books on their suggest list, but I added 25 more that were not on the NBS list.

The CW Almanac ranked number 9 on that list overlooked by the NBS surveyors. I wrote "I am jealous of the entire Coin World Staff for compiling this Almanac. This is exactly what I wanted to compile for the numismatic field, but they beat me to it." I should add, congratulations!

In a sentence I summarized this book: Useful data for everyone who writes in the field covering the full spectrum of numismatics.

The latest edition comes close but does not entirely fulfill that statement. It is heavy on coins and paper money, light on all other areas of numismatics. It seems to be very heavy on bullion coins and counterfeit coins. There are twice the number of pages on how counterfeit coins are made in contrast to the number of pages on how legitimate coins are made.

The back cover touts the "most comprehensive U.S. mintage figures published." I still have a tendency to check the Red Book for these because of the pictures. The Almanac is devoid of illustrations, so I can find mintage figures quicker, guided by the purdy pictures.

But one table alone draws me to the CW Almanac, overcoming any other source: Specifications of U.S. Coins (pages 286-289). Here is a one-stop data file for weight, size, composition of all U.S. coins. Very useful.

Of course, the editors have updated so many sections, rarest (that is, highest prices) of U.S. coins, news for the intervening years, numismatic chronologies, and chapter 23 of interest to E-Sylum readers on books and periodicals.

References to URLs for further information are contained throughout the book. Excellent feature.

The number of total pages in recent CW Almanacs have been diminishing. The second edition (1977) had a sumptuous 1002 pages. The latest is down to 678, but the format is a somewhat taller page size, a wider column width, and I swear the type size seems smaller to these 81-year-old eyes. But I am concerned more with content.

I have two copies of the third edition. That volume had a magnificent section on medals, with lists of both space medals and those issued for the American Bicentennial -- the only such published source in numismatics. No specialize lists like that in recent issues. Pity.

The first CW Almanac issues bore the motto: "Complete, Concise, Informative." I wish that were the case for the issue at hand. Heavy on coins and paper money, light on everything else of numismatic interest. Or is it, the information is so good, I just want more?

For more information, see: COIN WORLD ALMANAC (8th Edition) (www.coinworld.com/dealers/amos-press/coin-world-almanac-8th-edition/)

Wayne Homren, Editor

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web