Coin club members, take note: the hobby’s most beloved reference guide is seeing unprecedented popularity!
Whitman Brands recently announced that the reimagined and redesigned 2026 edition of A Guide Book of United States Coins (the iconic Red Book) has surpassed 315,000 copies sold—exceeding the previous year’s sales volumes by more than 30% across retail and wholesale channels. Released in April 2025, this landmark edition has earned enthusiastic praise from the collecting community and was honored with the Numismatic Literary Guild’s 2025 Award for Extraordinary Merit for Best Book on United States Coins.
The redesign aimed to elevate the flagship product for today’s collectors, featuring a larger, more intuitive layout, industry-standard Greysheet pricing with GSID catalog numbers, and a host of thoughtful enhancements.
Key highlights of the 2026 Red Book include:
- More than 12,000 listings covering coins, tokens, medals, sets, and other collectibles
- Updated market values in up to nine grades
- Over 2,000 high-resolution images
- Fresh research, the latest U.S. Mint data, articles, essays, and case studies
- Fun-fact spotlights
- A detailed, fully illustrated case study in the “Grading U.S. Coins” section (focusing on Morgan Dollars this edition)
- The “Collector’s Notebook” addressing current hobby topics (this year: Misinformation in Numismatics)
Available in four collector-friendly formats, the strong response has prompted Whitman to order a second and third print run (with minor technical corrections) to keep up with demand as inventory replenishes naturally.
Looking ahead, Whitman is already planning for the 2027 edition, which will celebrate the 80th anniversary of this legendary guide (scheduled for summer 2026 release). Expect over 1,000 new catalog entries—including Rolls, DMPL Morgan Dollars, and 2026 Semiquincentennial coinage—along with updated values, new insights, and engaging essays.
Major refinements include:
- Returning specific grading guides to each series chapter
- Re-integrating circulation and proof-strike type coin values into their respective price charts
- Relocating special non-program commemorative gold coins (“restrikes”) to their proper denomination sections
A special collector’s edition with bonus coverage of all 2026 Semiquincentennial coins, plus a limited-edition leatherette hardcover commemorating the 80-year legacy, will also be offered.
As Publisher and President/CEO John Feigenbaum noted, the focus remains on the collector: “We’re grateful for the enthusiastic response… and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see the team’s efforts resonate.”
If you haven’t picked up your copy of the 2026 Red Book yet, now’s the perfect time—it’s clearly the must-have reference for any serious (or aspiring) numismatist! Share your thoughts on the new features in our club forum or at the next meeting.
Happy collecting!