WHITMAN OBSOLETE PAPER MONEY ENCYCLOPEDIA SELLS OUT

Whitman Publishing announces that volume 2 of its Whitman Encyclopedia of Obsolete Paper Money, released at the Memphis International Paper Money Show on June 12, 2014, has sold out as of July 17. Collectors can purchase the book from hobby shops and bookstores, including online, and the publisher has ordered a second print run to meet demand.

Whitman president Mary Burleson cited the hobby community’s growing interest in paper money, the reputation of well-known author Q. David Bowers, and word-of-mouth publicity at numismatic shows and club meetings as factors contributing to the strong demand and earlier-than-expected sellout.

“A sellout means that a book is temporarily out of stock from its publishing company,” said Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker. “Until our inventory is replenished, readers can buy the book directly from their favorite retailers.”

The Whitman Encyclopedia of Obsolete Paper Money is a study of currency issued from 1782 to 1866, before the modern era of National Banks and the Federal Reserve. Because more than 3,000 state-chartered banks issued their own paper money, the encyclopedia is expected to fill at least 12 volumes. Volume 2 is the first of three volumes that cover the New England states. In 752 pages it gives the history of every town and city as well as of every bank that issued this uniquely American currency in the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, and New Hampshire.

The encyclopedia’s author, Q. David Bowers, has compiled decades of research from 18th- and 19th-century bank reports, contemporary newspapers, and other primary sources. Each note is studied, and thousands are pictured in full color, with information on grading, rarity, values, significant auction results, advice for collectors, and more. To help create the encyclopedia, dozens of active collectors, researchers, dealers, historians, and other experts have volunteered their time and knowledge.

The 288-page volume 1, an introduction to obsolete paper money and an overview of the hobby, is still available from the publisher and has not yet sold out. It can be purchased online and from hobby shops and book retailers nationwide.

Future volumes will cover the Mid-Atlantic states, the American Midwest, the South Atlantic states, the District of Columbia, and territories.

Collectors and researchers interested in volunteering can contact Whitman Publishing at obsoletes@whitman.com. Volunteers will be credited in the books’ acknowledgments.

Collectors who want to learn more about the Whitman Encyclopedia of Obsolete Paper Money, and to meet Q. David Bowers in person, are invited to visit the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money. At 2 p.m., August 7, 2014, Bowers and Tucker will present “Obsolete Paper Money: History, Rarity, and Today’s Market,” including an opportunity for questions-and-answers with the audience.

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web