When it comes to coin collecting, the Red Book and Blue Book are considered to be the most accurate price guides. They are both used by dealers to make buying offers and by collectors to determine what they want to pay for coins in auctions or at retail shops. But both have their drawbacks and limitations.
The Red Book, officially titled A Guide Book of United States Coins, first went on sale in 1946 and is often referred to as the “Red Book.” The Blue Book was published in 1942 and is commonly referred to as the “Blue Book.” The titles are taken from their solid red and blue covers, respectively.
Both publications are updated annually and provide a list of average prices for U.S. coins by grade and denomination. They also include historical information, information on grading and how to start a collection and detailed listings of significant design variations. Other notable sections of the Red and Blue Books include silver and gold bullion coins, tokens, private and territorial gold and hard-times coin and token issues.
While the Red Book and Blue Books are helpful in determining market value, they may not accurately reflect the actual selling price of a coin to a dealer. This is because many coin dealers are not willing to purchase a coin at the Red Book price, which may be inflated.
Additionally, the majority of probate courts and insurance companies require an appraisal from a qualified coin appraiser in order to procure replacement cost coverage for a coin collection. However, if a qualified coin expert is unavailable, some insurance companies will accept Red Book estimates for replacement costs.
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