Category Archives: News

Congratulations to 2016 ANA Young Numismatist Literary Award Winners!

Each year the American Numismatic Association recognizes young writers through the Young Numismatist Literary Awards, funded by Whitman Publishing. Awards of up to $1,000 are given in three age groups named after Whitman authors and longtime hobby leaders Bill Fivaz (entrants aged 8–12), Q. David Bowers (ages 13–17), and Kenneth Bressett (ages 18–22). Continue reading →

New From Whitman And Q. David Bowers: A Guide Book of Liberty Seated Silver Coins

Whitman Publishing announces the release of A Guide Book of Liberty Seated Silver Coins, by Q. David Bowers. The 608-page book (number 21 in the popular Bowers Series) is available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, and online (including at www.Whitman.com), for $29.95.

Coins with the Liberty Seated design were minted from 1836 up to 1891. The motif was used on circulating half dimes, dimes, quarters, half dollars, and silver dollars, in addition to twenty-cent pieces, Gobrecht dollars, and, in modified form, U.S. trade dollars. The mints at Philadelphia, New Orleans, Carson City, and San Francisco were used to produce tens of millions of these coins. They were minted from the Hard Times Era through the nation’s gold and silver rushes, the Civil War and its aftermath, and well into America’s Gilded Age.

Today Liberty Seated coins are growing in popularity among U.S. coinage series, with many enthusiastic collectors and students. The Liberty Seated Collectors Club is among the hobby’s fastest-growing specialty groups. Leonard Augsburger, vice president of the club, who wrote the Guide Book’s foreword, stated that “Q. David Bowers offers both beginning and experienced numismatists a fresh perspective on collecting these fascinating silver coins.”

Author Bowers provides colorful historical context for the coins, commenting on the American scene (and the state of numismatics) from 1836 to 1891. Then he covers all eight denominations that carried the Liberty Seated design, with a coin-by-coin catalog of more than 750 entries. Bowers discusses mintages, grading standards, auction records, keys to building a high-quality collection, and other factors important to collectors and investors. He describes each coin’s availability in Mint State and in circulated grades; characteristics of striking; pattern coins for each denomination; production, release, and distribution; branch-mint coinage; Proofs; die varieties; shipwreck finds; conservation; and more. The book is illustrated with more than 1,500 images.

Appendices include a chronology of coin designer Christian Gobrecht; an overview of the mints used to strike Liberty Seated coins; Mint directors and superintendents of the era; an account of a visit to the Philadelphia Mint in 1861; chief coiner Franklin Peale’s description of die making in 1855; a study of master dies and hubs by professional numismatist John Dannreuther; a look at alternative U.S. currency formats of the 1800s (Postage Currency, Standard Silver, and goloid dollars); and a catalog of die and hub trials and splashers, based on the work of Saul Teichman.

Because Whitman Publishing is the Official Supplier of the American Numismatic Association, ANA members receive 10% off the book when purchasing directly from the publisher. It can also be borrowed for free as a benefit of ANA membership, through the Dwight N. Manley Numismatic Library.

Whitman Publishing is Launching Six New Books at the Baltimore Spring Expo!

Six new Whitman Publishing books will officially debut at the Whitman Coin and Collectibles Baltimore Expo, March 31–April 3, 2016. Because Whitman is the Official Supplier of the American Numismatic Association, ANA members receive a 10% discount off all purchases at the Whitman booth. The books being rolled out at Baltimore are:

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  • The 70th edition of the Guide Book of United States Coins (the hobby’s popular “Red Book”). With the addition of 16 pages, this is the most comprehensive and up-to-date Red Book yet. Collectors can choose between the convenient spiralbound version ($15.95), the classic red hardcover ($17.95), the durable spiralbound hardcover ($19.95), and the Large Print Edition ($29.95). To celebrate the Red Book’s 70th anniversary, copies autographed by Senior Editor Kenneth Bressett, Research Editor Q. David Bowers, and Valuations Editor Jeff Garrett will be raffled as prizes at the Whitman Publishing booth. (464 pages)

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  • 1849: The Philadelphia Mint Strikes Gold, by Michael F. Moran and Jeff Garrett. This is a tour-de-force illustrated history of the U.S. Mint in the 1800s, and the tremendous impact the discovery of gold in California had on the institution (and the nation as a whole). It explores the Philadelphia Mint’s early struggles, dramatic political debates waged in Washington, and the remarkable evolution of the Mint and the nation’s coins and medals. With hundreds of full-color images, some not seen in print for generations; a narrative that sheds new light and draws fresh new conclusions; and rich details on the colorful personalities involved and their interactions, this book is a treasure for the coin collector, the gold investor, and everyone interested in the fascinating history of the United States. Included is a detailed inventory of the Smithsonian Institution’s holdings of Type 1 Liberty Head gold double eagles. (352 pages, hardcover, 8.5 x 11 inches, $49.95)

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  • Collecting Coins in Retirement: An Action Guide and Estate Advice for Hobbyists and Their Families, by Tom Bilotta. This guidebook for retirement-age collectors provides strategies for smart collecting, and also gives their families guidance on managing an inherited collection. It explores why collecting is different in retirement; how to devise a personalized hobby plan; ways to define objectives and consolidate your collection; when, where, and how to sell your coins; important information to share with your family; how to prepare your estate; and ways to allocate your collection to heirs. Family members will learn the issues involved in managing an inheritance; the best ways to profit from an inherited coin collection; strategies for selling; and probate and tax considerations. Other sections cover coin industry trends, selling on eBay for pleasure and profit, useful technology, and more. (256 pages, softcover, 6 x 9 inches, $19.95)

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  • American Gold and Silver: U.S. Mint Collector and Investor Coins and Medals, Bicentennial to Date, by Dennis Tucker. This book gives an engaging history of gold and silver in the British colonies and early United States, setting the stage for the development of federal coinage, and leading up to the modern era of U.S. bullion. More than 150 collectibles works of official silver and gold bullion are cataloged—First Spouse gold coins, America the Beautiful five-ounce silver coins, American Arts gold medallions, American Buffalo 24-karat gold pieces, American Revolution Bicentennial silver and gold medals, Wildlife Refuge Service medals, silver Presidential medals, and many others. (384 pages, hardcover, 8.5 x 11 inches, $29.95)

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  • MEGA RED, second edition. The 1,504-page expanded version of the Guide Book of United States Coinsincludes a special 330-page feature on Flying Eagle, Indian Head, and Lincoln cents. Coverage of every section in the regular-edition Red Book is beefed up and illustrated with 5,800 images, 8,297 items priced in up to 13 grades, 47,000 individual retail values, and 15,800 auction records. The book includes detailed information on every U.S. coin type: history, strike characteristics and other diagnostics, mintages, market analysis, die varieties, and other factors; plus new essays on investing in gold and silver, collecting U.S. Mint medals, building a registry set, collecting numismatic literature, how to get a new die variety in the Red Book, Scouting and numismatics, an 18-page catalog of commemorative So-Called Dollars, and much more. (1,504 pages, softcover, 7 x 10 inches, $49.95)

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  • The third edition of John Mercanti’s American Silver Eagles: A Guide to the U.S. Bullion Coin Program. This special volume commemorates the 30th anniversary of America’s most popular silver bullion coin. It is updated with new information on the U.S. Mint’s individual coins and multiple-coin sets of 2014 and 2015; new market values and certified-coin populations; expanded historical commentary; the latest mintage figures from the U.S. Mint; a check-list and record file for collectors; and an expanded catalog of John Mercanti’s numismatic works. (176 pages, hardcover, 8.5 x 11 inches, $29.95)

After the Baltimore Expo the books will all be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, and online (including at www.Whitman.com). They can also be borrowed for free as a benefit of membership in the American Numismatic Association, through the Dwight N. Manley Numismatic Library. Whitman Publishing is the Official Supplier of the ANA, and Association members receive a 10% discount off all purchases.