Finally picked up my first redbook (2011). Always just looked at the graysheets before. Here's what has me straching my head. It gives you mintage numbers for each year of a coin. However, then there will be a number in ( )'s before it. Example: 1950 Franklin Half Dollar it has (51,386) then 7,742,123 What is the (51,386) What is that number for? Number not longer in circulation?
Ah. Are the proofs then included in the mintage figure? Or should they be added together for total mintage?
All I know is that they aren't included with coins for circulations, so I'm assuming they aren't part of the total mintage. Check out the bottom of page 20 and on. You might find what you're looking for. The whole red section is great
Yes, the parenthetical mintages are proof, and are included in the total mintage. However, I WISH there was a way to get a number on coins left in existence!
Front of the Red Book Try looking around page 20 under the section "Quantities of Coins Struck" in your book. They explain it there in about the 3rd paragraph.
Like the DOK says above, in the very beginning of the book, there usually is an 'Introduction' and 'How to use this book' section, where you can find the answer to this and other questions. This topic usually resides somewhere in the mintage figures accuracy and reporting paragraphs on Mint Data and Quantities Struck. :thumb:
Now why would I go and read that section when I have the best minds in the coin business like you to just tell me?
My copies (multiple years) of the Red Book say "Proof totals are shown in parentheses, and are not included with coins made for circulation."
I'll rent out my crystal ball, of course no warranty expressed or implied, offer void where prohibited by law, your results may differ, see your dealer for details, etc...........
Imagine what such a book would look like... 1914-D Lincoln cent: 492,514 (who saved them before 1934?) 1962-D Roosevelt Dime: 11,210,012 (so many were melted in 1980) 1862 Seated Liberty dollar 4,900 (probably highballing) 1976-S 3 Piece silver proof set 1,940,000 (crackouts) This is fun... I could go all night with this!
Dave Bowers' A Guide Book of UNITED STATES TYPE COINS gives estimated surviving populations for type coins. My guess is that someone (like Bowers) or the TPG's do have population estimates for most of the 3731 US coins minted for circulation. Gaining access to that info will probably require some sort of ($$) membership.
According to that Red Book, page 21, last statement above the notation of Rare Coins as an Investment states just the opposite. Proofs are NOT included in the circulated coin totals.
The problem is you have to be careful. The Redbook is not consistant and for some series the Proofs are included in the total mintage and for some series they are not. Also it was different in some of the older Redbooks than in the current ones. Take a look at the Ike dollars and the mintage of the Unc 72-S
