Customer Reviews

The Official Red Book: A Guide Book of United States Coins 2009

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This price guide covers a lot of coins that aren't covered in coin price magazines. It provides more detail about each coin series in general. It is also a numismatic reference with a wealth of background knowledge and details on many die varieties. Here is some of what you'll find inside:

- High-quality color photos of all coins
- Background info on each coin series
- Prices by grade (although prices aren't shown for the scarcer grades)
- Mintage figures
- Metal composition for each coin variety
- Closeup photos of many major die varieties, especially bust halves

Included are photos, background data, and prices for many coins you won't likely find in other price guides, including:

- Colonial issues
- Post-colonial issues
- Pattern coins
- Commemoratives
- Proof and mint sets
- Bullion coins
- Private and territorial gold
- Private tokens (including Civil War and Hard Times tokens)
- Confederate coins
- Hawaiian coins and tokens
- Philippine issues
- Alaskan tokens
- Mis-strikes and error coins

In addition to the coin listings, there is a wealth of information in the front of the book, including:

- Description of coin grades (no grading photos, though)
- Introduction to, and history of United States Coins
- Checking coins for authenticity
- Famous coin hoards
- Sunken coin treasures

Some of the negatives are as follows:

- Prices for uncommon but certainly not rare coin grades are not included (example: AU and mint state draped bust large cents)
- Intermediate coin grades (example; AU-58, MS-66) are not shown (Coin Values magazine shows these, but Coin Prices magazine does not)
- The coverage of Hard Times tokens, a popular series, is very inadequate

This is the best book for rating your coins and finding the value, you cannot find better.

I purchased this book for my 11yr old son who has just started collecting coins. It is very easy for him to find what he is looking for and has so much information packed into it. I would highly recommend this book to anyone collecting coins.

Old standby for getting a retailer's review of what you'd hope to sell your coin's for. A good benchmark and has been around for more than half a century. Blue book is more about whay the average person can hope to expect to get for a coin.

I've relied on older editions of the Official Red Book for information about various coins that I've seen. Having been a coin collector since I was a child, I decided to purchse this book to see what information has changed or been updated. From time to time, I've found unexpected coins in my change and I enjoy being able to look them up to see what they are, what historical period they might represent, etc. It also helps me understand this country's history through its coinage.

#1 Best Selling Price Guide is a MUST:

The official RED BOOK a guide book to United States Coins R.S.Yeoman ed. Kenneth Bressett, 61th edition, Whitman, 2009.

Best in organization, easy of use, pictures, illustrations, & data, also the most popular. Whitman's RED BOOK is an essential guide, indispensable requisite and required handbook with up-to-date numismatic information.

Best of the best in the area of numismatics have contributed to this volume, the most notable, respected, knowledgeable and distinguished numismatist were consulted for the 61th edition.

165 plus prominent coin collectors auctioneers, and museums contributed directly to the 2009 Red Book Guide, Bressett, Jeff Garrett, Tom Hallenbeck, Steve Contursi, Ira & Larry Goldberg, Bill Fivaz, David Akers, Silvano DiGenova, the Smithsonian Institution, Heritage Galleries, the ANA money museum, Stack's Rare Coins, Superior Galleries, the United States Mint, and several dozens more.

The guide has some problems, notable some errors occurred and as I mentioned earlier "All" price guides without exception are outdated by the time is printed, mainly due to market conditions, collector interest, commodities volatility, speculators, currency value, supply & demand, among others.

Numismatics is a hobby as any other do not expect a handsome return on your investment, at least not a monetary one. Have fun. Good luck.

This is probably the best book for coin collectors who have a limited background and no one they feel they can trust. It gives an honest opinion based on recent coin sale prices and conditions.

The one part that I feel they could have given more value for your money is a more thorough description of coin condition with more pictures and examples, that said, I recomend this book to anyone (most all dealers have one on their premises whether for your benefit, or to help them in a sale, it says something). Lastly, the price is right. I would always recomend checking the price of spot metals before any purchase.

The 2009 Official Red Book of Coins by Kenneth Bresset is the best book published if you are a coin collector or just have some coins you would like to know the values. If you wish to sell you know the value to compare the price the dealer offers in relation to the coins value.

Very good reference book foe buying and selling US coins. Color pictures good m background info. and info. on how to judge the condition of items for sale.

I buy the book every year. It's the corner stone to coin collecting. I couldn't do without it.