ARTICLE INTERVIEWS RED BOOK EDITOR KEN BRESSETT

Q: Ken, how long have you been involved with the Red Book?
A. I began sharing numismatic information with Dick Yeoman in 1956, and did it out of friendship and concern for the accuracy in the book. In 1959, he asked me to move to Racine, WI and work for him full time on this and other projects.

Q: How has the process of pricing changed since you began work on the Red Book?
A: The basic process is the same in that we still survey key US dealers and average their opinions to gain an insight into current price trends. In the early days we did the calculations without use of computers or even adding machines. Today the system is far more refined and computers do much of the work for us. The final numbers still require human analysis and consideration of factors that machines simply cannot supply.

Q: We are most familiar with your work regarding United States coins. What other areas of numismatics interest you?
A: I enjoy all aspects of numismatics, but have refrained from actually collecting US coins to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest. I collect coins of China and Japan because they are so challenging, and ancient Greek silver coins because they are historical and beautiful.

Q: Who is the most interesting person you have met in your years of numismatics?
A: Eric P. Newman. I recently attended a party for him on his 102 birthday. He regaled me with stories from his past and the many enjoyable times we spent together. His incredible memory and life experiences are astounding, and extend far beyond what most people only know about his numismatic activities. He is truly a modern Man for All Seasons, and a great humanitarian.

To read the complete article, see: TEN QUESTIONS (www.ngccoin.com/news/viewarticle.aspx?IDArticle=3593&Ten-Questions)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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