An updated and revised seventh edition of the Guide Book of United States Paper Money will be available in September 2020. The new book is a collector’s price guide and history of the paper currency of the United States dating from federal issues introduced during the Civil War to modern-day cash. Written by numismatists Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, the 416-page guide is printed in full color with hundreds of high-resolution images. It retails for $24.95 and will be available online (including at Whitman.com) and from booksellers and hobby retailers nationwide.
Thousands of federally issued notes are cataloged in detail in the Guide Book of United States Paper Money. Some are valuable rarities like Gold Certificates and $1,000 Federal Reserve Notes. Others are currency found in our wallets today. An introduction by David L. Ganz explores topics such as grading standards; star notes, the $2 bill, and World War II notes; American money in the Civil War; the Bureau of Engraving and Printing; how cash is designed, printed, and distributed; and how to collect, store, and care for paper money. The book covers every kind of federal paper money printed from the 1860s to today’s Series of 2017 Federal Reserve Notes with signatures of U.S. Treasurer Jovita Carranza and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The authors review recent developments in the hobby including possible redesigns of the $20, $10, and $5 bills.
On the market side, the book combines the standard Friedberg cataloging system with more than 16,000 retail values in multiple grades for each note.
Regarding today’s marketplace, Arthur Friedberg said, “As the seventh edition goes to press, despite the fact that we are still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no lessening of the enthusiasm collectors have for United States paper money. Expensive notes are still setting records, and a plentiful supply of the more common material provides a field day for those wanting to expand their collection.”
The first edition of the Guide Book of United States Paper Money was published in 2005, with updated editions released in 2007, 2010, 2014, 2016, and 2019. It has earned the “Best Specialized Book on United States Paper Money” award from the Numismatic Literary Guild.
Authors Arthur and Ira Friedberg are well known in the numismatic world. They have been professional numismatists for more than 30 years. Both joined their father’s family firm, The Coin & Currency Institute, after college. Since then they have established themselves as award-winning authors, coin dealers, researchers, and numismatic consultants to numerous governments and organizations.
The Guide Book of United States Paper Money covers notes from $10,000 down to $1 face value; Treasury notes of the War of 1812; encased postage stamps; Fractional Currency; error notes; signatures on U.S. currency; uncut sheets; and other hobby topics. It includes a glossary and a bibliography for further research.
It may be borrowed for free as a benefit of membership in the American Numismatic Association, through the Dwight N. Manley Numismatic Library. ANA members receive a 10% discount on copies purchased from Whitman Publishing, the Association’s Official Supplier.