(Pelham, AL) — The Diamond Anniversary 75th edition of the Guide Book of United States Coins (the hobby’s popular “Red Book”) will debut in four distinct formats on April 6, 2021. Each version features the same content, with 32,000 retail prices in multiple grades, historical information, 2,000 high-resolution full-color photographs, and guidance on collecting every type of American coin.
The convenient spiralbound softcover format was designed to lie flat when open on a desk or table. It measures 7.7″ by 6″ and is bound with a durable metal coil. “This is the most popular modern format of the Red Book,” said Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker. “The first spiralbound-softcover Red Book debuted in 1997, with the 50th edition. It was next available in 1999, and we’ve offered the format every year since then. Collectors like it because you can set your coins out in front of you, and have your Red Book lying flat, open to whatever page you want to study.”
The spiralbound hardcover has the convenience of a coil binding with the durability of a board cover. It measures 8.2″ by 6″ and, like the spiralbound softcover, opens to lie flat for reading alongside a coin collection. This format was first issued in 2008, with the 61st edition, and has been available (alongside other formats) for every edition since. “The spiralbound hardcover is the Red Book I keep on my desk for day-to-day use,” said Senior Editor Jeff Garrett.
The classic red hardcover Red Book measures 7.7″ by 5.5″. The Diamond Anniversary edition features silver-foil title imprinting, instead of the usual gold-foil. Its back cover bears a silver-foil “75 Years” emblem. “The red hardcover is what many longtime collectors envision when they think of the Red Book,” said Editor Emeritus Kenneth Bressett. “In fact, hobbyists have considered the hardcover to be a collectible itself since at least the 1960s, when it started becoming popular to seek one of every edition.”
The newest format of the Red Book, the Large Print Edition, has been offered annually since the 63rd edition, published in 2010. This oversized version measures 11″ by 9.25″ and, in addition to being 45% larger in page size, features easy-to-read large-size print, and enlarged color photos. “The Large Print Edition has all the same content and information as the regular formats,” said Research Editor Q. David Bowers. “The coin values, the photographs, the mintage data and specifications, are all here.” The Large Print Edition is also spiralbound for ease of use.
All versions and formats of the 75th-edition Red Book can be pre-ordered online (including at Whitman.com), and after April 6 will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide.