Collecting U.S. commemorative coins is like building a photo album of America’s story. From dramatic battles to Olympic Games, presidents to national parks, each coin captures an aspect of the nation’s heritage and allows collectors to create deeply personal and meaningful sets.
In this updated 2nd edition of A Guide Book of United States Commemorative Coins, award-winning author Q. David Bowers chronicles the history of commemoratives from 1892 to today. He takes you behind the scenes, showing how commemorative projects evolve from concept to final coinage, while exploring technical aspects such as die preparation, Proofs, assay coins, and distribution. On the collecting side, Bowers offers invaluable advice on evaluating quality, smart buying strategies, certification, population reports, registry sets, fair market pricing, and more.
New appendices enrich this edition, including an interview with an Artistic Infusion Program coin designer and a wealth of fascinating commemorative designs that never made it into production. With detailed histories, market analysis, and full-color images throughout, this book is a single-volume library for anyone interested in how America honors its people, places, and events through coins.
“Q. David Bowers is the consummate numismatic storyteller. Each commemorative coin has a story, and there is no one better to guide you than Dave Bowers.” —Beth Deisher, from the foreword
Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of U.S. commemoratives with the updated second edition of A Guide Book of United States Commemorative Coins, part of Whitman’s renowned Red Book Series. This acclaimed series spans nearly 30 volumes, each offering in-depth coverage of specific U.S. coin types and programs featured in the Official Red Book.
