Whitman - Official Red Book - Guide Books - Bowers Series

You make MUCH scents. Like the way you think

 

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That was dreamy. You hit a nerve. So nicely said

 

And he ran errands on foot and bicycle for an Orthodox Rabbi and his family on the Saturday Sabbath. Gotta have a good sense of direction, picking the quickest routes to get the goods and make it back in short time. Rabbi Fruchter rented a room to the Presley family and Elvis was the Rabbi's "Shabbos goy."

 

Well, they're not selling those (however many there are left) anyways probably at this rate....I doubt they ordered a huge 1st-run printing anyways. What could they have, a few hundred or a few thousand, tops ?

Unless the book "bombed" and they have like 30% or 50% or some other percentage of the 1st run left, it's basically a sunk cost....so move on to the 2nd Edition !

I wonder how many of Roger Burdette's SAINT-GAUDENS DOUBLE EAGLES books were sold by Heritage. The market for the RED BOOK is much larger, IMO: covers 2 coins....smaller easier reading....lower cost.

 

YES !!!

Managed to get a used copy of Bower's Liberty Double Eagle book for under $20....brand-new, I saw it a few years ago for $300. I haven't seen many new or used for sale.

Since I don't collect Liberty DEs I really didn't want to pay full retail for the book but to get it for under 1/10th the new price it's worth it to read and have in my personal coin book library.

 

Got the Liberty Double Eagle book today.....it's in GREAT shape, basically new except for a slight tear on the book jacket (who cares).

The book is definitely worth what I paid for it but different than I thought. What Bowers/Galiette do is a year-by-year history of the country dealing with major historical events (Civil War, opening of Carson City Mint, etc.) . But it does NOT have a year-by-year detailed analysis on that year's Liberty DE like Roger Burdette's book on Saint-Gaudens DEs does. For $20, it's definitely worth it to me. For $300, it wouldn't be. Probably not even at $100. It is on fine glossy paper and well-bound, I must say.

Every chapter corresponds to a year from 1849 (The Gold Rush) to 1907 (End of the Liberty DE, Hello to the Saint-Gaudens DE).

Typical Yearly Chapter: Numismatic news on coins or paper currency....economic or business happenings, like with Standard Oil....details on the dies being sent to the variou Mints....any changes (i.e, Types 1, 2, 3).....coin collector and numismatic commentaries for that year....plus a picture of that year's coin which can be either small or full-page.

If you have a chance to get this book on the cheap, definitely a beautiful coffee table book (tell Kramer ! ) or reference book.

 

Upon further reading, the book actually came out from SB @ $50. So not the steal I thought it was.

Still, was selling for alot more than $50 IF you could find it over the years (must have been limited mintage, mostly for clients of SB), it's in great condition, and it's a nice book. Just wish they had the mintage and survival estimates and other key date for each date in the series like his DOUBLE EAGLES Red Book.

 

I have 19 of them. They really are bargains because a lot of the information in them can be found in other books that cost a lot more.

There must be at least 26 in the series. That's the highest number I have, which covers the quarter eagle gold coins.

 

You have 19 of what, JM....??

 

19 volumes of this series.

 

I have 2....Double Eagles and Morgan Silver Dollars (4th Ed.). Might get the newest MSD edition....but the DE is terribly outdated (2004) but not sure if an update is coming. It should....the Liberty and Saint data has changed alot and there isn't a good source on the Liberty DEs (Saints you have RWBs 2018 book).

 

My updated U.S. gold reading list sampler:



I included some auction catalogs to highlight their usefullness. They combine nice pictures, historical analysis and commentary, and even prices at a certain date. Many of the Heritage Auctions commentaries can be found online in their archives for higher-priced or unique coin sales.