July 10, 2014 – Whitman Publishing releases volumes 1 and 2 of the Whitman Encyclopedia of Obsolete Paper Money, by Q. David Bowers on June 12, 2014. Each volume is an 8.5 x 11–inch hardcover book printed in full color on high-quality paper. Volume 1 is “An Introduction for Collectors and Historians.” Volume 2 is the first of three volumes on the New England states.
Q. David Bowers, Whitman Encyclopedia of Obsolete Paper Money Volume 1: An Introduction for Collectors and Historians, Whitman Publishing, Atlanta (GE), 2014. Hardcover, 288 pages, full color, 8.5 x 11 inches. ISBN 079483939-8. US$39.95.
The Whitman Encyclopedia of Obsolete Paper Money is a multiple-volume study of currency issued from 1782 to 1866, before the modern era of National Banks and the Federal Reserve.
Over the course of these decades more than 3,000 state-chartered banks issued their own paper money.
In this magisterial set of standard references, the “Dean of American Numismatics,” Q. David Bowers, has compiled decades of research from 18th- and 19th-century bank reports, contemporary newspapers, and other primary sources.
He gives the history of every state, every town and city, and every bank that issued this uniquely American currency. Each note is studied, and thousands are pictured in full color, with information on grading, rarity, values, significant auction results, advice for collectors, and more.
Active collectors, researchers, dealers, historians, and other experts have volunteered their time and knowledge to help create this new encyclopedia series. The Whitman Encyclopedia of Obsolete Paper Money is a project of grand scope, a gathering of stories about our nation—from small town to big city, from the early days following the Revolution to the tribulations of the Civil War.
It paints a beautifully detailed landscape of America and its early money. The 288-page volume 1 is the beginning of the journey: an introduction to obsolete paper money and an overview of the hobby.
In the 752-page volume 2, Bowers gives the history of every town and city, as well as of every bank that issued this uniquely American currency, in the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, and New Hampshire.
Future volumes will cover the Mid-Atlantic states, the American Midwest, the South Atlantic states, the District of Columbia, and territories.
The books will debut at the Memphis International Paper Money Show, June 12, 2014. After that they will be available from booksellers and hobby shops nationwide, and online.
Click here to go to Whitman’s Online Shop.
The books can also be borrowed for free as a benefit of membership in the American Numismatic Association, through the Dwight N. Manley Numismatic Library.
ADDENDUM
Volume 2 of the Whitman Encyclopedia of Obsolete Paper Money has sold out as of July 17. Collectors can purchase the book from hobby shops and bookstores, including online, and the publisher has ordered a second print run to meet demand.