The Guide Book of United States Coins, popularly known as the “Red Book,” is the hobby’s #1 best-selling annual price guide, with more than 23 million copies sold since 1946. Now, Whitman Publishing has released the over-sized 2015 “Essential Edition” of the Red Book, aimed at distribution to mass-market audiences.
“The Essential Edition Red Book focuses mainly on circulating federal U.S. coinage—the cents, nickels, dimes, silver dollars, and other coins most likely to be found in Grandpa’s proverbial cigar box or other collections,” said Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker. “As with the regular-edition Red Book, we promote the Essential Edition through mainstream bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million. Beyond that, it’s also carried in Sam’s Club—the eighth-largest retailer in the United States, serving 47 million members. We’re excited to be able to offer this version of the Red Book to such a large audience, and to introduce the hobby to a new generation of collectors.”
The Essential Edition Red Book is printed in full color at 8.5 x 11 inches, with enlarged photographs of the coins it covers: half cents through double eagles, commemoratives, Proof and Mint sets, and bullion coins; with an overview of colonial coins and territorial gold; and sections on Civil War, Hard Times, and other tokens.