Having first appeared in 1946, with the inaugural edition of R.S. Yeoman?s A Guide Book of United States Coins, the Red Book is turning 60.
This April, at the American Numismatic Association National Money Show in Atlanta, Whitman Publishing will release the 60th-anniversary edition of the hobby guide.
The Red Book offers an annual analysis of the coin market and today, the Red Book, one of the top-selling nonfiction titles in publishing history, prices more than 6,000 coins, with nearly 30,000 individual values.
The Red Book continues to tweak its product. The 60th edition includes more than 700 new full-color photographs, updated mintages and coin values, new auction records, additional pattern pieces, expanded coverage of Civil War tokens, and the latest commemoratives, sets, and other coins.
"We?re forecasting a sellout of the 59th edition in February, which is earlier than normal,? said Whitman president Mary Counts. ?This is a strong sign for coin collecting.?
The 60th edition will debut earlier than usual, so that it ties in with the ANA National Money Show, April 7-9.
?We will kick off our 60th birthday celebration at the ANA show in Atlanta,? Counts said. ?This is a special event for Whitman, since Atlanta is our national headquarters.?
Red Book editor Ken Bressett, who has written and edited the book since 1959, will be on hand to autograph copies of the 60th edition. Special events are planned to celebrate the occasion.
Included in the 60th is an appendix of the top 250 historical coin auction prices.
It will run 416 pages and be fully illustrated in color.
More than 21 million copies of the Red Book have been sold over the years.
Collectors can buy the 60th edition for $14.95 (spiralbound) or $16.95 (hardcover). It will be available nationwide at coin shops, hobby shops, and general book outlets.
