In a gesture of benevolent self-interest, I have built a near-complete collection of RIC at my university library by requesting one volume a year. Now only Vol. 5 is left. Is RIC 5 in print? Or are only used copies available? I understand it's really in two volumes, A and B.
Volume V is the shakiest and most incomplete of the whole set. I recommend RIC V online, here. The database holds to date more than 4540 entries, based on 104,000 coins and more than 80,000 pics.
Originally, vol V was printed in 2 parts. Some later reprints (i.e. mine) combined them into one part. I don't think the vol 5 reprints are "in print" any longer. You can easily find used reprints through numismatic booksellers. Charles Davis seems to be parting-out a set on his vCoins store.
Since he is building a set for a University library, which no doubt has online access to the same databases as the rest of us and a few more requiring subscriptions, I am pretty sure he needs the hard copy version to complete the set he is creating. You might want to contact numismatic used booksellers like George Kolbe, LAC, or others to see if they have a spare not tied up in a set. It just so happens I have a pristine extra copy of Vol V part 2 only, but that would probably complicate your search even more.
RIC V is out of print and very outdated Many people find them useless. both halves are available on vcoins at the moment from Charles Davis and he even has a rebound set in one book. I can not imagine people paying the price for them at the moment considering the online redo of part 1 linked by JA above. I believe there are Asian reprints for those who do not believe in copywrites. Sorry to be a slow typist.
This is all very helpful. Thanks to all for posting. Yes, I would like a hardcopy to sit on University shelves, but I want to be a good steward of university resources and not invest in a completely useless volume. Is there any real expectation that volume five will be revised and reprinted in the next few years? And I misspoke earlier when I said we were only missing vol five. We also have yet to acquire volume ten. This volume also seems to be out of print and a bit hard to track down. Correct?
I copied for my own use a checklist of these volumes from a post here at CT, I can´t find it now, but here is that checklist, hope it is usefull to you to: VOL 1 Originally Published: 1923 Reprinted: 1968, 1972 Revised: 1984 VOL 2 Originally Published: 1926 Reprinted: 1968, 1972 Revised: 2007 (as Vol. 2.1) A reprint of 2.2 forthcoming VOL 3 Originally Published: 1930 Reprinted: 1968, 1972, 1986, 1997 VOL 4.1 Originally Published: 1936 Reprinted: 1968, 1972 VOL 4.2 Originally Published: 1938 Reprinted: 1968, 1972 VOL 4.3 Originally Published: 1949 Reprinted: 1968, 1972 Vol 4 parts 1-3 reprinted in one volume 1986 VOL 5.1 Originally Published: 1927 Reprinted: 1968, 1972, 2001 VOL 5.2 Originally Published: 1933 Reprinted: 1968, 1972, 2001 VOL 6 Originally Published: 1967 Reprinted: 2003 VOL 7 Originally Published: 1966 Reprinted: 1972, 1984, 1997, 2003 VOL 8 Originally Published: 1981 VOL 9 Originally Published: 1933 Reprinted: 1968, 1972, 1988, 1997 VOL 10 Originally Published: 1994
Neat! I've collected coins for 66 years [4 years old -1951] and never had a RIC. I just knew that the CC mint mark on the Morgan silver dollars were worth saving. My aunt told me. I now use the red book and blue book to figure the current value. I can usually figure what they will be worth in the coming years.
I know it's bad form to call attention to auctions, but this is a fixed price offering currently on eBay: RIC vols. 1-9 for $400. And free shipping! That, to me, seems a steal, even if vol 10 is not part of the set. Some single volumes go for well over $100. Indeed, I almost thought about buying the near-complete set and trying to flip it, but I'm not especially entrepreneurial. If I didn't have ready access to a print version through my university, I'd consider it for myself, but I'd have a hard time justifying a $400 purchase for books that can pretty much be borrowed indefinitely and kept on my shelf. But for someone looking for RIC, the mixed set looks to be in good shape. http://www.ebay.com/itm/ROMAN-IMPER...%3A866d079315d0a88459696fbcffffff66%7Ciid%3A1
