Archives: Our authors

Robert W. Shippee is a retired international banker, lifelong coin collector, and avid golfer. Over a 40-year career in banking he held senior roles advising global clients and managing complex financial transactions. Outside the office, he pursued a deep interest in numismatics, studying rare coins and the coin market for decades. Though modest about his writing credentials—aside from countless business memoranda and annual holiday letters—Shippee brings the same analytical discipline and curiosity to his numismatic work. This is his first book, combining personal experience with practical insights for collectors. He is also proud to have scored a hole-in-one.

Q. David Bowers is the most prolific and celebrated numismatic author in U.S. history. Over the course of his career, he has written more than 60 reference works, including many volumes in Whitman’s Red Book Series, covering virtually every area of American coinage. A past president of both the American Numismatic Association and the Professional Numismatists Guild, Bowers has received nearly every major honor in the hobby for his scholarship, integrity, and dedication. His books, lectures, and mentorship continue to shape generations of collectors and researchers, making him one of the most influential figures in numismatics worldwide.

Bill Fivaz, a coin collector since 1950, is one of the nation’s leading authorities on numismatic errors and die varieties. He received the ANA’s highest honor, the Farran Zerbe Memorial Award (1995), and was inducted into the ANA Hall of Fame in 2002. A respected educator and speaker, Bill has written hundreds of articles and contributed to major works including the Red Book. He has served on the ANA Board of Governors and CONECA Board of Directors. In 2010, the ANA and Whitman established the Bill Fivaz Young Numismatist Literary Award in his honor.

J.T. Stanton has collected coins since 1959 and specialized in errors and varieties since 1982. A dedicated educator, he taught ANA Summer Seminar courses for over a decade and founded the ANA’s “Errors and Varieties and Modern Minting Process” class. His contributions have earned multiple ANA honors, including the Medal of Merit and two Presidential Awards. J.T. has served on the ANA Board of Governors and held leadership roles with CONECA, including president, and is a member of its Hall of Fame.

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Ken Bressett is one of the most respected figures in American numismatics. Best known as longtime editor of A Guide Book of United States Coins, the “Red Book”, he has spent more than six decades shaping the hobby through his research, writing, and teaching. Bressett has authored and edited dozens of books on coins and currency, and served as president of the American Numismatic Association. His contributions have been recognized with the ANA’s highest honors, including the Farran Zerbe Memorial Award for Distinguished Service. Widely admired for his scholarship and integrity, Bressett continues to inspire collectors around the world.

Richard S. Yeoman (1904–1988) was a pioneering American numismatist and writer best known as the creator of A Guide Book of United States Coins, the “Red Book”, first published in 1946. A visionary in the field, Yeoman also introduced Whitman coin folders and albums, helping generations of collectors organize and enjoy their coins. His work transformed U.S. coin collecting into a more accessible and popular hobby, earning him a lasting legacy as one of the most influential figures in numismatics.

Jeff Garrett is president of Mid-American Rare Coin Galleries, Inc., and serves as co-editor of A Guide Book of United States Coins (the Red Book) alongside John Feigenbaum. He is a former president of both the American Numismatic Association and the Professional Numismatists Guild, and a board member of the National Museum of American History. A prolific and respected author, Garrett has written or co-written numerous numismatic references, including Encyclopedia of U.S. Gold Coins: 1795–1933 and 100 Greatest United States Coins. His many honors include the 2003 PNG Abe Kosoff Founders Award, the 2015 PNG Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2024 NLG Clemy Award, recognizing his lifelong dedication to numismatics and excellence in writing.

Robert D. Leonard Jr. has collected unusual and primitive forms of money for more than 50 years. A Fellow of both the American Numismatic Society and the Royal Numismatic Society, he has been active in the American Numismatic Association since 1961. Leonard is the author of numerous studies on distinctive forms of currency and contributed a survey of the field to Coin World. His work has earned multiple honors, including three ANA Heath Literary Awards and three Numismatic Literary Guild awards. He also served as lead author for the second edition of California Pioneer Fractional Gold.