The first volume of the “Bowers Series” of numismatic references—the Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars—was published in 2004. As of 2019 that initial volume plus the two dozen that followed it have comprised more than 8,000 pages of information on U.S. copper half cents through gold double eagles, Proof sets, commemorative coins, tokens and medals, and other numismatic collectibles.
Within that impressive lineup, in July 2015 volume 18 added three of the most popular U.S. coins ever minted—the Mercury dime, the Standing Liberty quarter, and the Liberty Walking half dollar.
The popularity of these three coin types has long been on our radar at Whitman Publishing. How could it not be? Collectors have bought thousands of Whitman blue folders and albums to save one coin from every date and mint. We get phone calls and letters asking about the coins and their die varieties, how to grade them, and how much they’re worth. For years we referred our readers to the Guide Book of United States Coins (the hobby’s “Red Book,” which covers every U.S. coin series), to various books that describe grading or that study one or another of the individual coin types, or, for more detailed exploration of die varieties, to the Cherrypickers’ Guide.
With volume 18 of the Bowers Series, collectors have another standard reference—one that brings everything together in a single resource—the Guide Book of Mercury Dimes, Standing Liberty Quarters, and Liberty Walking Half Dollars.
The decision of how to present these coins to the hobby community wasn’t lightly made. Our intent with the Bowers Series is to study the most popular coin types in books that are affordable, logically organized, and valuable to the reader. These goals brought certain questions to the fore. In 2014, we had
- no Bowers Series book on dimes,
- one on quarter dollars (the Guide Book of Washington and State Quarters), and
- one on half dollars (the Guide Book of Franklin and Kennedy Half Dollars).
Would it make sense to create a Guide Book of Mercury and Roosevelt Dimes, covering the last 100 years of that denomination in a single reference?
And what to do with the Standing Liberty quarter? Modern quarters, of 1932 to date, were already accounted for, and we knew we would be covering Barber silver coins (dimes, quarters, and halves) all together in a single upcoming volume. That left the Standing Liberty quarter somewhat orphaned—a relatively short series spread over a span of 15 years, comprising fewer than 40 major date/mintmark varieties, certainly not enough to fill their own 300-page book.
A similar question lingered for half dollars, with the Bowers Series already covering that denomination from the present day back to 1948.
I believe our final decision—to present these three coins together in a single volume—was a sound one. Mercury dimes, Standing Liberty quarters, and Liberty Walking half dollars were all part of the elegant “Renaissance of American Coinage” (as Roger W. Burdette termed it in his award-winning book series), the early-1900s rebirth of great U.S. coin design. All three were workhorses of American commerce in their heyday, which spanned from 1916 into the 1940s, from a world war to a gilded age of progress, then through the depths of an unprecedented economic depression and a second global conflagration.
The motifs of these working-class coins are widely ranked among America’s greatest numismatic designs. They speak to the viewer in a way that the older, grim-faced Barber coins never did, in a way that today’s modern presidential-portrait coinage certainly doesn’t. Their appeal is not just the sentimental feeling they invoke, and it’s not just the vibrancy and action of their designs; it’s a combination of everything about them, their ineffable sense of history as well as their old-fashioned but still very robust physicality. We look at them and we think, This is the United States of America.
If a Grandpa of a certain age had a cigar box or candy dish that he tossed his pocket change into, chances are good it held a few of these silver pieces. Today they are commonly found in inheritances of old coins—perhaps studiously assembled and proudly displayed, perhaps jumbled haphazardly with vintage bus tokens, World War II ration tokens, and other pocket change. To the community of active hobbyists they are solid “collector” coins, sought by thousands of enthusiasts. Casual collectors fill the holes in their blue folders, eagle-eyed specialists seek out the scarcer die varieties, and deep-pocketed aficionados compete to build the finest registry sets.
For all these reasons—the historical connection of the three coins, their representation of an important generation and era, their unique place in the wider world of American numismatics, and their longstanding popularity among coin collectors and the general public—we decided to combine them into a single standalone book for collectors and historians.
Naturally the perfect author for this subject was Q. David Bowers himself, the “Dean of American Numismatics,” after whom the Bowers Series is named. The most widely published numismatic author and researcher of recent generations, Bowers marshals his resources to bring his readers technical, historical, and market-oriented knowledge unavailable in any other single book. The Guide Book of Mercury Dimes, Standing Liberty Quarters, and Liberty Walking Half Dollars is the culmination of more than 60 years of research and study, designed to immerse you in the world of these fascinating coins, make you a smarter and more savvy collector, and prepare you to build the greatest coin collection possible.
A Guide Book of Mercury Dimes, Standing Liberty Quarters, and Liberty Walking Half Dollars
By Q. David Bowers; foreword by Roger W. Burdette
Published on the 4th of July, 2015
ISBN 079484314-X
Perfectbound softcover, 6 x 9 inches
320 pages
Full color
Retail $29.95 U.S.
❑
KEITHSTER says
I think the only one I have is the dime. But may have to get it out to take a closer look? So Have Fun And Good Look All “>O<"
Zephin says
Pride of Two Nations 2019 Limited Edition Two-Coin Set
https://catalog.usmint.gov/pride-of-two-nations-2019-limited-edition-two-coin-set-19XB.html?cgid=2019-product-schedule
The RCB says
Enhanced reverse proof American eagle silver dollar, that’s interesting
Larry says
Wow – that set came out of nowhere!
Andrew Smith says
My favorite coin…. the Standing Liberty Quarter. Simply beautiful. The original design looks pretty cool too.
cagcrisp says
Tracking a Two Level price Increase tomorrow for Palladium
That would put the SO 2018 Proof Palladium @ $1,887.50…
Elvirn says
Need to get rid of coin collection
Robert Sidman says
Only 100K sets? Is Canada selling 100K too?
Will this rival the mintage of the 2011 25th anniversary 5-coin sets?.
At 5 per household should sellout in minutes.
CaliSkier says
@ Zephin: Nice catch on the US/Can set!
Step right up, Hurry, Hurry! Only $70/oz! Typical price for a Canadian 1oz Coin, with many of their 1oz silver coins, actually selling for more!!!
The Maple, is unique, however based on Canada’s(collector) coins typically being of much lower mintage, this coin will be readily available on the aftermarket. Personally I’ve developed a case of US Mint burnout! Although the 1oz Mod/Rev PF Eagle, will have a 100,00(potential) mintage, I think I’m over this coin collecting habit of mine??? PASS
BTW, if the set doesn’t sell out, the US Mint(numismatic) side is in a pickle IMHO! Do they continue down the higher prices, more gimmicks, lower mintages or ???? Hmmmm, ponder….
John Q. Coinage says
Cali, the price$ are going one way. I have totally kicked any ‘Jones” I had for USM products. Tired of searching ATB rolls & getting 1 W per like every 20…..while Mezak has 1,000’s apparently….
$70 an oz. WOW, it will NOT sell out…….too high a #., Perhaps 30k wold work…..they don’t take into account the mass exodus from the USM lovely but way OVERPRICED ITEM$…….
I can get almost 10 ASE for the price of these 2, better profit potential I think, and AG is weak….
cagcrisp says
Worldwide Weakness…
The French 10 year bond went Negative today for the FIRST time in History.
Yesterday it was .107%
1 Month Ago it was .289%
1 Year Ago it was .668%
Today we had 3 of the top 7 world’s Largest economies in Negative Territory for the 10 year.
Currently Germany -0.318
Currently Japan -0.129
Currently France 0.009
cagcrisp says
Lower and Lower Mintages…Continue…
19EH 2019 AM EAGLE GOLD UNC 1 OZ 1,467 +1,467
Hidalgo says
Pride of Two Nations 2019 Limited Edition Two-Coin Set has an American Eagle One Ounce Silver Coin with an enhanced reverse proof finish . What is an “ENHANCED reverse proof” finish? Is it different from a reverse proof? Different from enhanced uncirculated?
https://catalog.usmint.gov/pride-of-two-nations-2019-limited-edition-two-coin-set-19XB.html?cgid=2019-product-schedule
cagcrisp says
19CA 2019 APOLLO 11 GOLD PROOF 27,626 + 265
19CB 2019 APOLLO 11 GOLD UNC 11,090 +39
19CC 2019 APOLLO 11 SILVER PROOF 168,377 +2,243
19CD 2019 APOLLO 11 SILVER UNC 52,374 +384
19CE 2019 APOLLO 11 CLAD PROOF 54,117 + 616
19CF 2019 APOLLO 11 HALF DOLLAR SPECIAL SET 99,965 +35
19CG 2019 APOLLO 11 CLAD UNC 36,137 +266
19CH 2019 APOLLO 11 SILVER PROOF 5 OZ 60,611 +220
cagcrisp says
19CJ 2019 AMERICAN LEGION GOLD PROOF 2,495 +33
19CK 2019 AMERICAN LEGION GOLD UNC 2,115 +18
19CL 2019 AMERICAN LEGION SILVER PROOF 28,788 + 301
19CM 2019 AMERICAN LEGION SILVER UNC 11,290 +101
19CN 2019 AMERICAN LEGION CLAD PROOF 15,682 +139
19CP 2019 AMERICAN LEGION CLAD UNC 9,920 +63
19CQ 2019 AMERICAN LEGION COIN & MEDAL SET 9,354 +294
19CR 2019 AMERICAN LEGION 3-COIN SET 6,737 + 64
cagcrisp says
19EA 2019 AM EAGLE SILVER PROOF 1 OZ (W) 283,222 +3,392
19EB 2019 AM EAGLE GOLD PROOF 1 OZ 3,082 +111
19EC 2019 AM EAGLE GOLD PROOF 1/2 OZ 1,000 +34
19ED 2019 AM EAGLE GOLD PROOF 1/4 OZ 1,551 +61
19EE 2019 AM EAGLE GOLD PROOF 1/10 OZ 5,378 +135
19EF 2019 AM EAGLE GOLD PROOF 4-COIN SET 5,316 +72
19EG 2019 AM EAGLE SILVER UNC 1 OZ 90,305 +3,503
19EH 2019 AM EAGLE GOLD UNC 1 OZ 1,467 +1,467
19EJ 2019 AM EAGLE PLATINUM PROOF 1 OZ 8,664 + 66
19EL 2019 AM BUFFALO GOLD PROOF 1 OZ 9,907 +217
cagcrisp says
18EA 2018 AM EAGLE SILVER PROOF 1 OZ (W) 348,272 +97
18EB 2018 AM EAGLE GOLD PROOF 1 OZ 7,099 + 19
18ED 2018 AM EAGLE GOLD PROOF 1/4 OZ 4,623 –
18EE 2018 AM EAGLE GOLD PROOF 1/10 OZ 14,009 –
18EF 2018 AM EAGLE GOLD PROOF 4-COIN SET 7,989 +4
18EG 2018 AM EAGLE SILVER UNC 1 OZ 138,934 + 3
18EH 2018 AM EAGLE GOLD UNC 1 OZ 8,327 29
18EJ 2018 AM EAGLE PLATINUM PROOF 1 OZ 13,332 +19
18EL 2018 AM BUFFALO GOLD PROOF 1 OZ 15,756 –
cagcrisp says
18AK 2018 ATB SILVER UNC 5 OZ – APOSTLE ISL 16,802 –
18AL 2018 ATB SILVER UNC 5 OZ – VOYAGEURS 16,837 –
18AM 2018 ATB SILVER UNC 5 OZ – CMBRLND ISL 16,008 + 14
18AN 2018 ATB SILVER UNC 5 OZ – BLOCK ISL 15,581 +18
19AJ 2019 ATB SILVER UNC 5 OZ – LOWELL NTL PARK 14,225 + 44
19AK 2019 ATB SILVER UNC 5 OZ – AM MEM PARK 13,316 +68
19AL 2019 ATB SILVER UNC 5 OZ – WAR IN THE PACIFIC 12,925 + 915
cagcrisp says
17XA 2017 AM LIBERTY 24K GOLD 1 OZ 30,493 +17
18XF 2018 AM LIBERTY 24K GOLD 1/10 OZ 28,323 + 39
cagcrisp says
Just How Dismal are Sales of the American Gold Eagle Uncirculated?
Launch Week Only:
2019 = 1,467 (2nd Year the Mint Tried the Gimmick of Limiting Mintage to 10,000)
2018 = 4,149 (The Mint Tried the Gimmick of Limiting Mintage to 10,000 for the FIRST time)
2017 = 1,881
2016 = 2,968
2015 = 2,157
2014 = 1,844
2013 = 2,700
…SO…2019 with a Mintage of 10,000 is 20.4% Lower than Any Launch Week in the past 6 years…
Gimmick Worked in 2018.
Gimmick Did Not work in 2019…
Larry says
@ Hildago, the Apollo Anniversary Half Set had an Enhanced Reverse Proof Kennedy Half.
CaliSkier says
@ Hidalgo, Larry and others curious about Enhanced Reverse Proof finishes?
Here’s a read from Paul Gilkes.
https://www.coinworld.com/news/precious-metals/us-mint-treatments-in-reverse-proof-set-coin-dies.html
With the use of laser frosting technology the Mint can vary, ever so slightly the different finishes used throughout the field and devices. Polished, lightly frosted, heavy frosting, etc. The laser frosting as been used on a few commemoratives, NA dollar, ASE, APE, others as well.
Qui Transtulit Sustinet says
A Pucky Tale, Pasted From The Mint, just like many MNB “stories”:
Face Off: Vulcanized Rubber vs .999 Fine Silver
Which weighs more . . . an America the Beautiful Uncirculated Five Ounce Silver Coin™, or a hockey puck?
The answer is closer than you might think:
America the Beautiful Uncirculated Five Ounce Silver Coin: 5.0 ounces (duh)
Hockey Puck: 5.5 to 6.0 ounces
Which is bigger? Trick question: they both measure three inches in diameter.
Thickness is another matter. A hockey puck is one-inch thick, while the silver coin is only 0.128 inch. It would take nearly eight stacked silver coins to match the thickness of the hockey puck
At roughly two pounds and seven ounces, that would make for one powerful slap shot! A typical hockey game uses 12 pucks. At the price of today’s silver uncirculated coin, it would cost about $1,210 per puck, or $14,520 per game.
cagcrisp says
There Will be a Two tier price Increase for Palladium this afternoon.
Nothing for Gold or Platinum.
Still do Not think we will see a Reverse Proof Palladium this year.
I would Not think the Mint would be willing to pay the price for the “lease” on Palladium…
Buzz Killington says
I am conflicted about whether to keep my AGE Burnished Gold set going. I hate the premium, but can I justify it if I’m only getting that and MAYBE the Pd issue this year?
On the other hand, this set has to stop sometime, why not now?
cagcrisp says
Also…
I do Not think we will get ANY of the 2019 “TBD” American Innovations coins.
There Are 21 2019 American Innovation coins listed as TBD
There Were 21 2019 American Innovation coins listed at the first of the year as TBD
…SO…Half the year has gone and as yet Not Any 2019 American Innovation coins
I Think the 2018 Reverse Proof American Innovation coin (Never listed on 2019 schedule) is All we will get in 2019
Reading the Law, Not issuing any 2019 coins in 2019 would Not be a problem as long as we get a 2018 Reverse Proof American Innovation coin Issued in 2019…
cagcrisp says
The 2019 Native American Coin & Currency set will be offered for $15.95…
cagcrisp says
Gold hits All Time High in Australian dollars…
” A continued plunge in global bond yields, with US 10 year bond yields now sitting at just above 2%. Since late 2018, the market value of debt trading with a negative yield has almost doubled and currently sits at approximately USD 12 trillion, according to a 17 June article published in The Financial Times. “
Collector 10538 says
cagcrisp says “There Were 21 2019 American Innovation coins listed at the first of the year as TBD”
There was an Unc set in that lineup that they removed not all that long ago. That was the only item I would have had any interest in.
mattarch says
I will be purchasing the 2019 Native American Coin & Currency set. I have the previous ones and the $15.95 price is reasonable. I enjoy the sets.
John Q. Coinage says
Wow, gold actually popped from the Iran Hormuz “incident” that spot has been the potential spark for a war since the 1970’s & the talk of $1k AG back then…..but now it seems Trump is lowering the rhetoric, for NOW…..