Visitors to the March 31–April 2, 2022, Whitman Coin & Collectibles Expo in Baltimore will have early access to the 2023 (76th) edition of the Guide Book of United States Coins (known to collectors as the “Red Book”). After its Expo debut this newest edition of the hobby’s best-selling reference will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide. In the meantime, it can be preordered, including at Whitman.com and other online bookstores.
A Guide Book of United States Coins is the world’s most popular annual retail price guide for U.S. coins, tokens, and other numismatic items.
The 76th edition has been expanded to 472 pages. It prices nearly 8,000 entries in up to 9 grades each, with more than 32,000 retail valuations in total. It includes many new features and updated research, plus additions to the book’s 1,900-plus color photographs.
Senior Editor Jeff Garrett said, “Today’s rare-coin market is dominated by collectors, with an emphasis on quality. Auction records continue to be set for outstanding coins and ultra-rarities. Renewed interest in collectibles, financially flush consumers, and fear of inflation have all combined to spark demand across the board for most United States coinage. The 76th edition of the Red Book has more price increases than any in recent years.”
Editor Emeritus Kenneth Bressett has worked on the Red Book since 1959. He wrote about the first 75 years of its history in his memoir A Penny Saved: R.S. Yeoman and His Remarkable Red Book. “I pity anyone looking for auction bargains today!” Bressett said about the current coin market. “Choice coins seem to be high on everyone’s wish list. Condition and rarity prompt the most active bidding, and shocking prices. The stimulated activity has also caused price increases in many lower-grade pieces. Are prices too high? Probably not, even though the expanded competition might not last forever. Markets and collector interests have a habit of changing over the years, but seemingly always in an upward direction over any reasonable period of time. The old adage ‘The time to buy is when the piece you want becomes available’ is as true today as it has ever been. I see nothing but good times ahead.”
Research Editor Q. David Bowers calls the Red Book “the most useful single-volume reference a coin collector can add to their library.”
“Our print runs for the Red Book have sold out faster than normal in recent years,” said Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker. “We see this increased demand as a measure of the hobby’s growth. The 25 millionth copy of the Red Book was sold in 2021, and strong demand continues in 2022.”
The 76th edition, with a cover date of 2023, will be available in formats including the classic red hardcover; the convenient spiralbound softcover that lies flat when opened; and the easy-to-read Large Print Edition.
