5 comments about The Official Red Book: A Guide Book of United States Coins 2009 (Guide Book of United States Coins (Spiral)) (Guide Book of United States Coins (Spiral)) (Guide Book of United States Coins (Spiral)).

1. #1 Best Selling Price Guide is a MUST:
   
   The official RED BOOK a guide book to United States Coins R.S.Yeoman ed. Kenneth Bressett, 61th edition, Whitman, 2009.
   
   Best in organization, easy of use, pictures, illustrations, & data, also the most popular. Whitman's RED BOOK is an essential guide, indispensable requisite and required handbook with up-to-date numismatic information.
   
   Best of the best in the area of numismatics have contributed to this volume, the most notable, respected, knowledgeable and distinguished numismatist were consulted for the 61th edition.
   
   165 plus prominent coin collectors auctioneers, and museums contributed directly to the 2009 Red Book Guide, Bressett, Jeff Garrett, Tom Hallenbeck, Steve Contursi, Ira & Larry Goldberg, Bill Fivaz, David Akers, Silvano DiGenova, the Smithsonian Institution, Heritage Galleries, the ANA money museum, Stack's Rare Coins, Superior Galleries, the United States Mint, and several dozens more.
   
   The guide has some problems, notable some errors occurred and as I mentioned earlier "All" prices guides without exception are outdated by the time is printed, mainly due to market conditions, collector interest, commodities volatility, speculators, currency value, supply & demand, among others.
   
   Numismatics is a hobby as any other do not expect a handsome return on your investment, at least not a monetary one. Have fun. Good luck.



2. I was having a hard time getting this book till I came here. my husband gets the new one every year will come here next year. thanks so much. !!!!



3. No Complaints. Execatly what I was looking for and more. Price was cheaper than any other place.



4. I purchased this book for my 11yr old son who has just started collecting coins. It is very easy for him to find what he is looking for and has so much information packed into it. I would highly recommend this book to anyone collecting coins.



5. This is the best book for rating your coins and finding the value, you cannot find better.

5 comments about State Series Quarters Collector Map (State Series).

1. I bought two of these maps for my 9 & 8 yr. old sons who just recently started collecting the state quarters. This map is a perfect way of displaying the quarters and it looks great.
   There is a slot in each state for its quarter (or next to it for the smaller NE states), there are facts about each state, it is pretty durable and it folds for easy storage.
   My boys both love their maps. I could not be happier with my purchase.



2. This one is a good one. Put the quarter into its state. Cool.... But I thought the cover is harder.



3. We loved the quarters collector map. Bought it for a gift and it was nicer than I even expected.



4. I purchased a few of these folders for my kids' quarter collections based on all the positive reviews it was getting. The folder offers a tidbit of information from each state, such as when they became a state, the capital, nicknames, mottoes, state flower and state bird. It also has a big map in which you place your quarters directly into a color-coded state, which helps you see when that quarter was released. Underneath the quarter is a picture of that state's seal. It is educational and a great place for kids to keep their quarters as well as a way for them to learn a little about each state.
   
   There are a few things that I didn't like about the folder. First off, it's size. It does state the dimensions but I neglected to pay attention to that. It is rather large when I was hoping to get something more along the size of a large book. The other thing I didn't like are the 4 extra little spaces at the bottom of the map for you to put extra coins in. At first I was excited, thinking it was a spot to put the 4 new nickels that have recently been released. I thought that was such an ingenious idea to include that so the coin collection could all be in one place. Upon further inspection, I noticed that the holes were too large for nickels to fit. At that point, I was very confused as to what those holes were for so I went to the internet to find my answer. The 4 spaces along the bottom are there for you to put your favorite state quarters in. So you would have one state quarter in the actual state map and an extra on the bottom. I didn't like this, especially after my excitment about thinking they were for the nickels! Plus, how can I select my favorite state quarter when I liked them all just the same?!
   
   That being said, I would still purchase this product. It is a great value for a spot to stick your quarter collection. I would never want to spend more than this ($7.99) for a quarter folder/book, especially when they are for my kids and I needed to buy multiple ones. This price was just right and it is a great tool and quarter holder for the kids.



5. The State Series Quarters Collector Map is just the product I had been looking for. The quarters do not fall out of the holder as they do in some of the other products. The map folds and secures with a velcro closure which is nice. Each quarter is easily removed to view a picture of that state's seal which is an additional educational benefit. My son and daughter are both elementary school teachers (with lots of teacher friends) so I have now collected many sets of the state quarters and have used this product for all of them.

5 comments about Fifty State Commemorative Quarter Folder: Deluxe Edition 1999-2008.

1. This has to be my favorite coin folder yet. It has a slot for both P and D mintages and the coins fit into the slots perfectly (unlike the presidential coin folder by whitman.) I highly recommend it. :)



2. This is a well made product but I didn't realize that it was for the state quarters that come from BOTH mints. I would have been happy with one that held only one set of coins but that is my fault for not reviewing the product details closely enough. If you want to collect the coins from both mints (Philadelphia and Denver respectively) this is a good product. I am new to this so I don't know if there are other folders that allow you to get the coins out or to adjust them once they are in the slots, but this one makes it very difficult to adjust the coins once they are in.



3. 
   This book cost me 10 dollars including shipping and I must say it is absolutely worth it! As another review said, the coins do show up a dent on the back of the book but then hey.. what did you expect for 6 bucks???? and that's why I give it a 5 star instead of 4... great product... my husband absolutely loved it!!



4. Nice book. Worth the price. Unlike what others had complained about, inserting the coin wasn't that much of an effort. Makes the collection look professional.



5. I received this Quarter folder from Amazon.com about a week ago and I think its put together rather nicely. The cover and pages are not overwhelmed by the pictures or use of excessive colors. Its rather plain and serves its only purpose: to display quarters. This makes your quarters the focus of attention in the folder. I like how the quarters have two slots for each state one for the "P" Philadelphia mint and one for the "D" Denver mint edition. It folder contains some facts on each state as well as extra slots for additional coins. The folder is hard cover and sturdy, pressing the coins in takes a little work but they stay securely in place.

4 comments about A Pocketful of History: Four Hundred Years of America--One State Quarter at a Time.

1. this is an outstanding book; the perfect companion to any state quarter
   collection. although collectors would've liked to see more details like
   issue dates and quantities minted.



2. Written by attorney Jim Noles, A Pocketful of History: Four Hundred Years of America - One State Quarter at a Time is a treasury for history trivia buffs and coin collectors alike, as it relates how each of the fifty commemorative state quarters celebrates American history. There are fifty chapters; each one begins with a magnified, black-and-white rendition of a different state's unique quarter design, followed by the story behind the design and historical vignettes aplenty. Written in a reader-friendly narrative style, A Pocketful of History is the perfect companion book for state quarter collectors everywhere.



3. I didn't know I was interested in the 50 State Quarters Program until I started reading this excellent book. Noles dedicates a chapter to each state. I love the reporting he did into how each state chose what would go on its quarter.
   
   The book's not just about the program, though. Noles uses it as a jumping off point to explore little chunks of history, some of them well known, some of them obscure.
   
   This would be a great gift for a coin collector. My brother-in-law is a big fan of the 50 State program. He flew through the copy I gave him and wanted a sequel. I keep my copy by the tub, where I read another state each night. Last night, I read about Hillman's discovery of Oregon's Crater Lake.



4. History, Sartre said, is what happens behind our backs (or something to that effect). It's also something that jangles in our pockets, if we carry or save or even spend quarters from the 50 State Quarters Program.
   
   We know this because Jim Noles has taken the time and expended great effort to write the winsome and valuable A Pocketful of History: Four Hundred Years of America--One State Quarter at a Time (Da Capo Press).
   
   Following Canada's lead in the mid 1990s, the US government decided to issue, over a period of ten years, commemorative quarters representing some significant and representative event or symbol or enduring attribute of each of the fifty states, issued in the order in which all fifty states came into the union. There is more than one history at work here, that being a coin's depiction of a state's historical self-definition -- but, in addition, much to our benefit, Noles has taken the time to tell us the stories behind the states' decisions and debates on which events or symbols to use, and how best to depict them.
   
   Those descriptions in themselves prove to be a fascinating look at how politics and personalities shape what we see and how we see it -- a history lesson in itself.
   
   In scrupulous -- but not overbearing -- detail, Noles tells us about Delaware's Ceasar Rodney who, in 1776, suffering from a debilitating cancer, rode 80 miles in one day from his home state to Philadelphia just in time to cast his vote for independence; or Colorado's perhaps not unexpected depiction of the majestic Rockies as a symbol of the beauty and natural resources of the state; or North Dakota's display of bison and the stunning buttes and mountains that make up the 39th state's harshly beautiful Badlands.
   
   The legislation to create the 50 State Quarters Program was signed into law in 1997 by President Bill Clinton, and the plan was to issue the quarters incrementally over a ten-year period. By the end of 2008, with the minting of Hawaii's quarter (Hawaiian monarch King Kamehameha I stretching his hand toward the eight major Hawaiian Islands), the Quarters program officially ended, and it has proven to be an enormous success -- both financially for the government and aesthetically and historically for numismatists and otherwise interested parties everywhere.
   
   Noles, thankfully, provides us a comprehensive look at the very distinct, yet commonly bound, 50 states that make up the U.S. He does so with enough erudition to make the book substantive while interjecting the perfect amount of lightheartedness and whimsy to make the book eminently readable.

No comments about The Official Red Book: A Guide Book of United State Coins 2009 (Guide Book of United States Coins) (Guide Book of United States Coins) (Guide Book of United States Coins).

5 comments about Handbook of United States Coins 2009: The Official Blue Book (Handbook of United States Coins (Paper)) (Handbook of United States Coins (Paper)) (Handbook of United States Coins (Paper)).

1. This handbook (The Blue Book)provides a good target price representing dealer's cost for all the US Coins listed in the corresponding retail value Red Book. Invaluable reference tool for quick evaluation of a seller's coin price markups for the casual collector who doesn't need up to the minute price changes. Use it with the Red Book to establish a range for buying and selling.



2. The Bluebook is an invaluable reference when you are selling coins (along with the Redbook when buying) since it tracks what coin dealers pay for coins. You need to keep in mind that in a "hot" market prices change rapidly which can make the Bluebook "dated" fairly quickly. In any case it does provide a baseline indicating what others have received for coins in specific grades over the past several months giving some indication of what you should receive from a coin dealer.
   
   If you are interested in what you can expect to pay for a coin you want to buy then use the Redbook which tracks the amount dealers charge for coins in specific grades.
   
   The difference between the Redbook and Bluebook indicates the monies retained by dealers for the value they add to collector's trades. So, if you are trading collector-to-collector with no dealer involved, the two references can serve as the high and low bar for the negotiation process.



3. This book is nice to use when you are wanting to sell one of your coins. It would be a better book if it would come in spiral bound so that it is easier to use.



4. While useful and informative and, indeed, a must if you buy coins, this book is quite outdated. Since the price of gold and silver have gone up considerably and change daily, the effect on coins is intense in many cases.
   
   There are several sites online where you can get more up-to-date information. Yet having this handy is a good idea. I like having something near my work area and in my hands so I can quickly look up the information I want. Then I can follow that up by going to one of the Web sites.
   
   -Susanna K. Hutcheson



5. Easy to use
   Contains all information you need to assess any coin
   A wise purchase

2 comments about 2009 Standard Catalog Of World Coins 1901-2000 (Standard Catalog of World Coins).

1. If you collect world coins, you need to purchase the Standard Catalog series from Krause Publications. The 20th Century book that I purchased came with a DVD. I kinda look at this as a "2 for 1" deal as the DVD has the same contents as the book. I noticed that the prices on some coins went up while others went down. With the DVD, I can look up countries almost as fast as the book (there will be some of you who will experience either fast finds or slow ones depending on your computer processing speed). Overall, I only hope that Krause will include DVD's in future editions.



2. This is a book a coin collector simply cannot live without. Over 2000 pages packed with information on coins. Obviously, there are better catalogues for specific periods or territories but none so comprehensive. At some point your collection will reach the level when other catalogues are necessary but when you decide to go beyond your local coinage there is no better start. If you really concentrate on some period or country, you will soon outgrow it. If you begin to broaden your numismatic horizons, this is your guide and you may need no other.
   This is a book like an old friend. You know his shortcomings (not all were corrected from previous editions), you know he is not really up-to-date (whatever he may claim), you know that he gets more and more forgetful every year, you know he can be terribly obstinate and stick to his mistakes for years. But you reach for him in need because, well, you haven't got a better friend.

5 comments about Standard Catalog Of World Paper Money Modern Issues (Standard Catalog of World Paper Money. Vol 3: Modern Issues).

1. It was a pleasure to work with you. The catalog is very useful and it was delivered in no time. Thank you



2. As a beginning collector, I didn't really know very much about this subject, and the book helped me immensly. I highly recommend this book both for novice collectors like me, and for those lucky individuals who have been doing it for years. An excellent source!



3. If you collect modern banknotes, you must own the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, Volume III: Modern Issues (US$50, Krause Publications, ISBN 0-89689-502-5). The simple fact is that there is no other omnibus catalog that covers post-1960 issues in such detail. Now in its 13th edition, Volume III contains 12,000 illustrations of notes from over 200 issuing authorities, most with valuations in three different conditions. The SCWPM is our collector community's bible, and its "Pick" numbers are the lingua franca used worldwide to identify types and varieties. However, anyone who spends more than a few minutes examining the SCWPM soon discovers its many flaws.
   Let me begin by stating that I realize it is a gargantuan task trying to ensure the accuracy of so much detailed data on a subject that is sometimes obscured by intentional secrecy. With 1,048 pages, it's inevitable that minor typos creep in and omissions are made. Many errors I had spotted in previous editions have been corrected, yet new ones have cropped up. But the problems I have with the SCWPM are not minor, they are systemic. According to the back cover blurb, editor George Cuhaj compiles input from "more than 80 experts around the world." This alone probably explains many of the catalog's flaws. These unpaid contributors are anonymous, and they bring different levels of dedication to the task of updating their areas of expertise. As a result, the SCWPM is often inconsistent.
   For example, sometimes a note with a new date or signature combination gets a new type number, other times it warrants only a new variety letter, and other times it's just grouped together with several other dates. Australia, Switzerland, and West African States all have listings with extremely detailed varieties, while most other countries list only an issued note and specimen. Speaking of specimens, often they are listed without description or price. Does this mean they are unconfirmed or rare? And why is it that the introduction claims the variety letter "r" is used to indicate remainders, though Biafra's notes lacking serial numbers are given "b" variety letters and Cayman Islands uses "r" to indicate replacements? Rather than being systematic and predictable, the numbering scheme is arbitrary and subjective. Fortunately, renumbering has been held to an "absolute minimum" in this edition, but unexplained gaps from previous renumberings exist, as do new discoveries shoehorned into the inflexible scheme with numbers followed by capital letters to distinguish them from lower-case variety letters.
   The problem with inconsistencies extends beyond the pervasive numbering scheme to the issue of signatures. If a country's note varieties are clearly distinguishable from one another based upon other attributes--such as date or overall design--I understand there is no need to publish a signature table. However, it is unforgiveable to omit same if the note descriptions make specific references to signatures either by number or name. For example, Argentina SCWPM 275-282 refer to signature titles by letters, but the accompanying table from the 12th edition has been dropped. Likewise, Belgium SCWPM 134-152 refer to signature numbers that have never been documented in any edition. Unfortunately, the signature tables which do appear don't always include the signatory's full name, title, and term of service. In fact, Bhutan's signature table lacks numbers altogether, so references are confusing, to say the least.
   I'm happy to report that the list of banknote printers and their abbreviations has returned after being dropped since the 10th edition, but good luck finding it since it doesn't appear in the table of contents (hint: it's in the back of the book, sandwiched between full-page advertisements).
   Though it bears a copyright of 2007 and claims to cover modern issues from "1961-present," the 13th edition fails to include many recent releases one would expect. For example, there's no mention of the new families of notes from Azerbaijan and Mozambique introduced in 2006, nor of the European Union notes bearing Jean-Claude Trichet's signature, and these have been out for years. Nonetheless, I would recommend the 13th edition if for no other reason than its black-and-white images are much clearer overall than the muddy illustrations of the previous edition. While the front and back of most notes are shown, not all notes are depicted, and the images are just big enough to aid in identification, but not to savor the details. Inexplicably, all recent editions have also included eight pages in color of randomly selected notes without any commentary or obvious purpose. This costly insert should be put to better use--highlighting new color varieties or particularly attractive new issues--or dropped entirely.
   Aside from identification of note varieties, the other purpose of a catalog is to provide accurate values of notes. Here, too, the SCWPM provides questionable guidance. Many countries have not seen any valuation changes whatsoever over the course of several editions. This is simply impossible given the fact that all values are expressed in US dollars, and this currency has experienced a significant drop in exchange rates across the board over the past few years. For example, the high-denomination Haitian notes printed on Tyvek remain listed at relatively accessible prices, despite the fact that I have never seen these rarities offered for sale at any price. Even in those countries which have been updated, the new valuations are unreliable. For example, Romania's notes dated 2005 are all still priced below face value, though not as severely as in the previous edition. On the other hand, the prices of common recent issue Australian notes have spiked beyond reason. And some countries--such as France, Italy, and Qatar--have some VG and VF notes priced at face, despite being demonetized.
   If you collect the entire world, the SCWPM is the only game in town, and is a necessary reference well worth the price, even in light of its shortcomings. But if you focus on particular countries or regions, you'll want specialized catalogs instead.
   
   This review first appeared in print in the International Bank Note Society (IBNS) Journal 46.3.



4. Having been a major collector of banknotes for 40+ years, I find the SCWPM series of banknote catalogs invaluable, but far from complete or accurate. This volume has improved graphics and updated pricing compared to the previous edition. The numbering system is chaotic, pictures misplaced, signature charts missing or incomplete, latest issues missing, etc. Mr. Cuhaj needs some help.



5. I was very disappointed by the latest issue of the 'modern issues' catalogue. There are at least two instances of incorrect page-headings, which are confusing, and one group of notes missed out completely - which suggests carelessness in editing the book. However my main disappointment is the number of issues which were new in 2005 or the first half of 2006 which have not been included - which, for a book dated and published in 2007 just is not good enough. If Krause Publications are going to make an annual out of the modern issues catalogue, then they must make the cut-off date for the inclusion of new issues much closer to the publication date. Why could they not put in the front a prominent note saying something like 'including all new issues up to July 2006'?
   
   I feel a bit cheated by Krause.
   
   
   Keith Potter

5 comments about The Official U.S. Mint 50 State Quarters: Complete 100 Hole Collector's Folder, Complete Collection 1999-2008.

1. I had a large coin book, but wanted the 100 hole for the 2 mints. This worked perfectly. It would have been nice to have them (D & P) side by side, but it folds up nicely, better than my last one. Yes, the quarters can be hard to place in the book, but for me, they stay put. I do not like the thin backing under the holes. I worry that if I push too hard, I might tear right through. I am still pleased with it, and have ordered several. It has made the quarter collecting more fun.



2. this is an excellent book to keep your state quarters in , a very nice folder showing both p asnd d mints- well made.



3. It is not a hard cover like it said it is. Philidelpia mints are on one side and Denver on another. I would have like to have seen the two mints together. Otherwise, coins fit in slots great and has interesting facts to read on the interior cover.



4. Wow, great fun as a little project with my daughter to teach them about saving and collecting.



5. I bought this Collector's folder because my current collectors folder only had room for quarters from one mint. This folder has holes for quarters from both mints, and they are separated nicely, so at a glance you can tell which mint you are missing coins from, and it all folds up neatly and compactly into a small folder.

No comments about The Official Blue Book Handbook of United States Coins 2009 (Handbook of United States Coins) (Handbook of United States Coins (Cloth)) (Handbook of United States Coins (Cloth)).