Whitman is set to release the eagerly awaited third volume of the sixth edition of the Cherrypickers’ Guide to Rare Die Varieties of United States Coins. This renowned series, celebrated for its excellence in numismatic literature, continues to serve as an invaluable resource for collectors seeking to identify and understand rare coin die varieties. These rare varieties, often concealed in everyday pocket change and dealer inventories, hold significant value, and the new edition promises to enhance collectors’ ability to discover these hidden treasures.
The sixth edition, Volume 3, offers comprehensive coverage of die varieties for an array of U.S. coins, including Liberty Seated, Barber, Walking Liberty, Franklin, and Kennedy half dollars; Liberty Seated, trade, Morgan, Peace, and modern dollars; gold dollars through double eagles; classic commemoratives; bullion coinage; and coins from the Philippines. The guide boasts over 310 unique varieties, illustrated with more than 1,000 high-quality images. Detailed descriptions accompany each entry, providing collectors with the essential knowledge to make informed decisions in their numismatic endeavors.
This edition introduces several new features, including an expanded introductory narrative, detailed photo enlargements, and market values presented in multiple grades. Notably, for the first time, the guide incorporates Greysheet-based pricing and GSID numbers, linking coins across the Whitman Brands family of products, such as the Greysheet online pricing tool, CDN Exchange, and the Greysheet mobile app. The layout of the guide is designed to be user-friendly, catering to both novice and experienced collectors.
Since its debut in 1990, the Cherrypickers’ Guide series has become a staple in the coin-collecting community. The series educates collectors on how to “cherrypick”—identifying coins that appear ordinary at first glance but possess unique characteristics like doubled and tripled dies, overdates, and repunched mintmarks, which can transform a common coin into a rare and valuable find.
The all-new third volume, spanning 328 pages, adds over 120 new varieties. It includes special attention to “Long Nock” Morgan-dollar VAM varieties, additional text for Presidential dollar edge varieties, and new chapters on Draped Bust half dollars and dollars, Capped Bust half dollars, and Philippine coins. Co-author Bill Fivaz expressed his excitement about the new release, stating, “We are thrilled to bring the latest Cherrypicker’s Guide to the numismatic community. The goal has always been to equip collectors with the best possible resources, and this volume is a testament to our commitment to excellence and innovation in numismatic literature.”
Volume editor Larry Briggs, who invested significant effort into the project, shared, “The second volume was bursting at the seams with so much new material, we knew early on we would need another volume. Cherrypicking enthusiasts everywhere should be duly excited!” Fivaz and Briggs were joined by Ohio-based numismatist and major contributor Robert Lawson, who coordinated inputs from over 15 die-variety specialists across the country.
For the first time, all three volumes of the Cherrypicker’s Guide, covering half cents through double eagles and everything in between, will be available simultaneously. A large second print run of the sixth edition, Volume 1, initially published in 2015, will also be released. This volume includes 680 varieties, more than 1,000 images, and detailed information on popular U.S. coin series, such as the Indian Head cent, Flying Eagle cent, Lincoln cent, two-cent pieces, Buffalo nickel, Jefferson nickel, Shield nickel, and Liberty Head nickel series.
Whitman Brands CEO and Publisher John Feigenbaum commented, “Behind The Guide Book of United States Coins (Red Book) and some other select titles, Cherrypicker’s Guide is one of the most asked-about titles we publish at Whitman. We are super thrilled to have all three volumes available to the collector community at the same time later this summer. But the truth is, there are always new die varieties and information surfacing, so the work is never done.” He also mentioned that preparations for a new, revamped seventh edition are already underway.
Cherrypickers’ Guide to Rare Die Varieties, sixth edition, Volumes I and III can be pre-ordered for $39.95 online at Whitman.com and Amazon.com, and will be available in Whitman’s eBay Store, bookstores, hobby shops, and other online retailers nationwide in August 2024. The sixth edition, Volume II remains available for purchase at all retail outlets. Additionally, all sixth editions will be available electronically in the Kindle Store for $14.95 per title.