Bowers on collecting: This and that, here and there

It has been a busy time for me and even more for others on the Whitman staff. As you read these words, the fifth edition of Mega Red is nearly ready to go to press. This will be over 1,500 pages and have more information than you can read in a week of evenings. This edition’s special section will showcase quarter dollars from 1796 to date—telling all you want to know about minting, issuance, collecting, and more. Read this section, and you will know more than most dealers do! The book, at a $49.95 cover price, will be an ideal major gift (or close) to give to a friend or relative to acquaint them with the hobby you know so well.

Beyond working on Mega Red, I have been putting the finishing touches on a book on Continental money—the paper issues of 1775 to 1779 and the Continental dollars dated 1776, a project started years ago. Along the way, I recently decided to build a collection of the approximately 100 different paper money varieties. It is a challenge to find notes that have full margins and crisp signatures. So far I have about a third of them.

Next week is the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Expo at the Baltimore Convention Center. If you plan to attend this always dynamic event, track me down on Wednesday or Thursday. I can be found at the Stack’s Bowers Galleries or the Whitman displays. If you would like to add some more Whitman titles to your library, I would be honored to sign any that I wrote.

Have a nice week.

If you wish to reach out to me for commentary, questions, or suggestions, I can be contacted via e-mail at 

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