The 2022 Handbook of United States Coins (79th edition), popularly known as the Blue Book, will be available beginning May 10.
The 304-page book will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide in hardcover and softcover formats. Customers may also preorder copies at at www.whitman.com.
The Blue Book, a guide to wholesale coin values, was started by R.S. Yeoman in 1942 as a groundbreaking resource for collectors. With the Blue Book, for the first time ever hobbyists had an impartial, research-driven annual guide to tell how much the typical dealer would pay them for their U.S. coins. It also gave dealers a handy one-stop reference for making buy offers.
The Blue Book Defined
As the Blue Book nears its 80th anniversary, collectors and dealers continue to find it a valuable yearly measure of wholesale coin values. Senior Editor Jeff Garrett and Research Editor Q. David Bowers carry on the work started by Yeoman, with retired Editor Emeritus Kenneth Bressett giving an annual overview of the process. More than 100 leading professional coin dealers, numismatic researchers, and organizations contributed their numismatic knowledge and market analysis to the 79th edition.
New coin collectors sometimes ask, “What’s the difference between the Blue Book and the Red Book?” The main answer is simple: The Blue Book lists wholesale prices many coin dealers will pay for collector coins; the Red Book (officially titled the Guide Book of United States Coins) lists retail prices that a collector can expect to pay for the same coins.
Since 1942, the Blue Book has helped millions of people who have inherited coin collections, have coins to sell or trade, or are actively engaged in collecting. The popular method of collecting coins by date and mintmark has created a market of changing values, based on supply and demand. The Blue Book, through its panel of contributors, reports on these changing values. It also serves as a source of general numismatic information for all levels of interest in the hobby.
New Features in This Year’s Blue Book
The 79th edition of the Blue Book features the modern, updated layout of recent years, improved black-and-white photographs, the latest data and information from the United States Mint, and a 16-page full-color chapter on how to sell coins you’ve inherited. This feature section tells how to examine, identify, and sort coins in a collection or accumulation, create an inventory, determine grades and values; and find a reputable buyer. It includes illustrated case studies on grading coins; tips on selling at coin shows, through the mail, and by auction; guidance on silver and gold bullion values; and advice from professional numismatists.
Published in convenient softcover and library-quality hardcover on high-quality paper, the 2022 Handbook of United States Coins (79th edition) has a retail price of $12.95 (softcover) or $14.95 (hardcover). To order, visit www.whitman.com.
