NEW BOOK: GUIDE BOOK OF U.S. COINS, PROFESSIONAL EDITION, 5TH EDITION

Whitman Publishing has released the fifth edition of its expanded version of the best-selling Guide Book of United States Coins (known within the hobby as the “Red Book”). The 384-page volume, called the Professional Edition, is intended for intermediate and advanced collectors and investors, professional coin dealers, auctioneers, and numismatic researchers. It is available online (including at Whitman.com), at bookstores nationwide, and from hobby dealers and booksellers. The Professional Edition is 45% larger than the regular-edition Red Book, at 8.5 x 11 inches, and is spiralbound for convenient reference. It retails for $29.95.

Updates in the fifth edition include:

• Current market prices in high circulated grades and multiple Mint State and Proof grades
• Updated auction records
• 43 updated and additional coin photographs, including a chopmarked trade dollar, various Mint State and Proof type coins, and new die varieties
• An illustrated essay on the 1837 “Half Cent Worth of Pure Copper” token
• An essay on the passing of the half cent and large cent from American commerce
• New die varieties, including major 2009 “Formative Years” Lincoln cent doubled-die reverses
• Updated “Recommended Reading” lists
• Whitman Publishing coupons, in the back of the book, worth $38.75

Standard features of the Professional Edition that go beyond the regular-edition Red Book include:

• Detailed coverage of every federal coin type, half cents through double eagles, plus classic commemoratives, Proof and Mint sets, and bullion coins.
• Expanded valuations, including multiple Mint State and Proof levels, plus Full Steps, Full Bands, Full Head, Full Bell Lines, Cameo / Deep Cameo, and other specialized designations.
• Certified-coin population summaries (PCGS and NGC) for every date and mintmark—including the number certified, the average grade, the percent in Mint State, and the finest Proof.
• Recent auction data for coins listed.
• Additional die varieties in every denomination, with close-up photographs for easy identification.
• More than 1,600 high-quality, full-color photographs of Mint State and Proof coins, for every type.
• Detailed research, estimated mintages, and market information on early 1800s–early 1900s Proof coinage, including gold.
• Expert guidance on striking and sharpness characteristics for each type—valuable information when comparing coins for purchase.
• Insight on availability and condition rarity for each type.
• Detailed grading instructions, including for Mint State and Proof coins.
• Informative chart notes that expand on the history, characteristics, and market values of significant coins.
• Enlargements of key focal points and variety diagnostics—many more than in the regular edition.
• A detailed section on the U.S. Mint’s silver, gold, and platinum bullion coins.
• An appendix on “Great Collectors and Collections of the Past.”

The Professional Edition’s editorial team consists of Senior Editor Kenneth Bressett, Research Editor Q. David Bowers, and Valuations Editor Jeff Garrett. Dozens of other hobby leaders contributed their expertise to the book’s production.

“The Professional Edition Red Book is not just for professional coin dealers and investors,” said Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker. “Collectors who have advanced beyond the solid foundation of the regular-edition Red Book will find it to be an invaluable tool for building their collections. As a single-source reference book there’s nothing else like it in the market.”

A Guide Book of United States Coins, Professional Edition, fifth edition
Senior editor Kenneth Bressett; research editor Q. David Bowers; valuations editor Jeff Garrett.

ISBN 079483972-X
384 pages, full color.
8.5 x 11 inches, spiralbound softcover.
Retail $29.95

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web