Book excerpt: Whitman Publishing debuted the Handbook of United States Coins in 1942. It was the first unbiased, authoritative resource showing how much coin dealers were paying on average to buy U.S. coins by type, date, and mintmark. The groundbreaking new book was an immediate hit, popular with dealers and collectors alike. For more than 79 years coin dealers have used the OFFICIAL BLUE BOOK(R) (as it came to be known) to make buying offers. As a collector, you can use it to find out how much your coins are worth! The Blue Book's price listings offer a real-world look at the rare-coin market, gathered from dealers around the country. The new 79th edition includes updated prices, special features, and many new photographs. Coverage includes colonial and early American coins, federal coins (half cents through gold double eagles), commemoratives, Proof sets, die varieties, private and territorial gold, tokens, the newest Presidential and American Innovation dollars, National Park quarters, bullion coins, and other United States Mint products. More than 25,000 prices in multiple grades. Easy-to-follow coin-grading instructions. Coins and tokens from the 1600s to today. Historical information. Hundreds of detailed, actual-size photos. How to start a coin collection. Detailed mintage records, and much more