Table Of ContentTHE OFFICIAL RED BOOK®
A GUIDE BOOK OF
UNITED
STATES
COINS
R.S. YEOMAN
SENIOR EDITOR
JEFF GARRETT
RESEARCH EDITOR
Q. DAVID BOWERS
EDITOR EMERITUS
KENNETH BRESSETT
73rd Edition
Fully Illustrated Catalog and
Retail Valuation List—1556 to Date
A Guide Book of United States Coins™
THE OFFICIAL RED BOOK OF UNITED STATES COINS™
THE OFFICIAL RED BOOK and THE OFFICIAL RED BOOK OF UNITED STATES COINS are trademarks of Whitman Publishing, LLC. Library of
Congress Catalog Card No.: 47-22284
Printed in the United States of America.
© 2019 Whitman Publishing, LLC
1974 Chandalar Drive • Suite D • Pelham, AL 35124
No part of this book may be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from the publisher. Prices listed in this
book may not be used in any form of computer database or program without written permission from the publisher.
Whitman Publishing, LLC, does not deal in coins; the values shown here are not offers to sell or buy but are included only as
general information. Descriptions of coins are based on the most accurate data available, but could contain beliefs that may
change with further research or discoveries.
Whitman®
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Contributors to This Edition
How to Use This Book
Welcome to Numismatics
PRE-FEDERAL ISSUES
Colonial Issues
Post-Colonial Issues
FEDERAL ISSUES
Contract Issues and Patterns
Half Cents (1793–1857)
Large Cents (1793–1857)
Small Cents (1856 to Date)
Two-Cent Pieces (1864–1873)
Three-Cent Pieces (1851–1889)
Nickel Five-Cent Pieces (1866 to Date)
Half Dimes (1794–1873)
Dimes (1796 to Date)
Twenty-Cent Pieces (1875–1878)
Quarter Dollars (1796 to Date)
Half Dollars (1794 to Date)
Silver and Related Dollars (1794 to Date)
Gold Dollars (1849–1889)
Quarter Eagles (1796–1929)
Three-Dollar Gold Pieces (1854–1889)
Four-Dollar Gold Pieces (1879–1880)
Half Eagles (1795–1929)
Eagles (1795–1933)
Double Eagles (1849–1933)
Commemoratives (1892 to Date)
Proof and Mint Sets (1936 to Date)
BULLION
Silver Bullion (1986 to Date)
Gold Bullion (1986 to Date)
Platinum and Palladium Bullion (1997 to Date)
UNITED STATES PATTERN PIECES
U.S. Patterns
OTHER ISSUES
Private and Territorial Gold
Private Tokens
Confederate Issues
Hawaiian and Puerto Rican Issues
Philippine Issues
Alaska Tokens
APPENDICES
Appendix A: Misstrikes and Errors
Appendix B: Collectible Red and Blue Books
Appendix C: Bullion Values
Appendix D: Top 250 Coin Prices Realized at Auction
GLOSSARY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
INTRODUCTION
CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS EDITION
Senior Editor: Jeff Garrett. Research Editor: Q. David Bowers. Editor Emeritus: Kenneth Bressett. Special
Consultants: Philip Bressett, Maxwell Gregory, Robert Rhue, Troy Thoreson, Ben Todd, Jake Walker
Gary Adkins
Buddy Alleva
Mitchell Battino
Lee J. Bellisario
William Bugert
H. Robert Campbell
Elizabeth Coggan
Gary and Alan Cohen
Stephen M. Cohen
Steve Contursi
Adam Crum
Steven Ellsworth
Gerry Fortin
Pierre Fricke
John Frost
Mike Fuljenz
Dennis M. Gillio
Ronald J. Gillio
Rusty Goe
Kenneth M. Goldman
Thomas Hallenbeck
James Halperin
Stephen Hayden
Brian Hendelson
John W. Highfill
Brian Hodge
Jack Howes
Steve Ivy
Amandeep Jassal
Joseph Jones
Donald H. Kagin
Jim Koenings
Julian M. Leidman
Denis W. Loring
Dwight N. Manley
Syd Martin
David McCarthy
Lee S. Minshull
Charles Morgan
Paul Nugget
Mike Orlando
Joseph Parrella
Robert M. Paul
Robert Rhue
Steve Roach
Maurice Rosen
Gerald R. Scherer Jr.
Harry Schultz
Jeff Shevlin
Roger Siboni
James Simek
David M. Sundman
Barry Sunshine
Anthony Terranova
Troy Thoreson
Frank VanValen
Fred Weinberg
Mark S. Yaffe
Special credit is due to the following for service and data in this book: Frank J. Colletti, Charles Davis, David
Fanning, George F. Kolbe, Christopher McDowell, and P. Scott Rubin.
Special credit is due to the following for service in past editions: Stewart Blay, Scott Barman, Roger W. Burdette,
Tom DeLorey, Bill Fivaz, Chuck Furjanic, James C. Gray, Charles Hoskins, R.W. Julian, Richard Kelly, David W.
Lange, G.J. Lawson, Andy Lustig, J.P. Martin, Eric P. Newman, Ken Potter, Paul Rynearson, Mary Sauvain,
Richard J. Schwary, Robert W. Shippee, Craig Smith, Jerry Treglia, Mark R. Vitunic, Holland Wallace, Weimar
White, John Whitney, Raymond Williams, and John Wright.
Special photo credits are due to the following: Al Adams, David Akers, James Bevill, Heritage Auctions (ha.com),
Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles, Ron Karp, Massachusetts Historical Society, Christopher McDowell,
Tom Mulvaney, Ken Potter, John Scanlon, Roger Siboni, the Smithsonian Institution, Stack’s Bowers Galleries,
Richard Stinchcomb, and the U.S. Mint.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
Coin values shown in this book are retail prices figured from data from the listed contributors approximately two
months prior to publication. The coin market is so active in some categories that values can easily change during
that period. Values are shown as a guide and are not intended to serve as a price list for any dealer’s stock. A dash
appearing in a price column indicates that coins in that grade exist even though there are no current sales or auction
records for them. The dash does not necessarily mean that such coins are exceedingly rare. Italicized prices indicate
unsettled or speculative values. A number of listings of rare coins lack prices or dashes in certain grades, indicating
that they are not available or not believed to exist in those grades.
Prices rise when (1) the economic trend is inflationary and speculators turn to tangible assets as a hedge, or when
the number of collectors increases, while coin supplies remain stationary or decrease through attrition or melting; (2)
dealers replace their stocks of coins only from collectors or other dealers, who expect a profit over what they
originally paid; (3) speculators attempt to influence the market through selective buying; or (4) bullion (gold and
silver) prices rise.
Prices decline when (1) changes in collecting habits or economic conditions alter demand for certain coins; (2)
speculators sell in large quantities; (3) hoards or large holdings are suddenly released and cannot be quickly
absorbed by the normal market; or (4) bullion (gold and silver) prices decline.
Those who edit, contribute to, and publish this book advocate the collecting of coins for pleasure and educational
benefits. A secondary consideration is that of investment, the profits from which are usually realized over the long
term based on careful purchases.
The Handbook of United States Coins (commonly called the Blue Book), by R.S. Yeoman, Whitman Publishing,
contains average prices dealers will pay for these coins, and is obtainable through most coin dealers, hobby shops,
bookstores, and the Internet.
ABBREVIATIONS COMMONLY USED IN THIS BOOK
Abbreviation Meaning
Arr Arrows
Cl Close
CN Copper-Nickel
Dbl Doubled
Dbln Doubloon
Drap Drapery
Dt Date
FR Flat Rim
HE Heraldic Eagle
Horiz Horizontal
HR High Relief
Inv Inverted
Knbd Knobbed
LE Lettered Edge
Lg Large
Lib Liberty
Ltrs Letters
Med Medium
