In the 71 years since its introduction, Paper Money of the United States continues to make its mark among collectors and researchers. The 23rd edition of Paper Money of the United States, the standard reference book on American currency, is being released by the Coin & Currency Institute this summer.
In 1953, the late Robert Friedberg (1912-1963) broke new ground with the first edition, when the Treasury Department granted permission for photographs of American paper money to be printed for the first time. The current edition’s 336 pages feature notes from America’s greatest currency collections, as well as most of the greatest rarities, now all reproduced in color.
The inaugural edition of Paper Money of the United States also introduced other innovations, and during the past four decades, it has been completely expanded, revised, and edited by Arthur L. Friedberg and Ira S. Friedberg.
The latest edition of Paper Money of the United States, as is any price catalog, is a snapshot in time — and as this new edition debuts, it shows that the market for paper money is stable or rising in all categories. Notes of great rarity or top quality are often establishing price records every time they are sold. All valuations in the new edition have been adjusted, mostly upward, to reflect market conditions. These prices are given in up to seven states of preservation from Very Good (VG-8) to Gem Uncirculated (Gem 65). A major addition is the expansion of the section on the Treasury notes of the War of 1812 to include those issued from 1837 to 1860. There are also several other additions and revisions to the new volume, including notes never known to exist, making the edition a necessity for every collector and dealer of American paper money.
From the first year of Federal paper money, 1861, to the present, the faces and backs of all classes and types of notes, from 3-cents fractional notes to $10,000 notes, are illustrated. These are accompanied by text listing, describing, and pricing every variety of paper money ever issued, more than 10,000 prices in all. With close to 1,000 color photographs, the result is a complete pictorial, descriptive and numismatic history of the U.S. paper money. There are supplemental sections on Continental and Colonial currency (notes issued from 1680 to 1788), Treasury notes from 1812 to 1861, considered by some to be the first national currency, a comprehensive listing by type of the issues of the Confederate States of America, and sections devoted to paper money errors, postage envelopes, a section on postal notes, and encased postage stamps.
The listing in the appendix of the 14,348 national banks that existed from 1863 to 1929 also shows the number of large-size and small-size notes known to exist for each note-issuing bank. The appendix also includes information on uncut sheets of small-size notes, including the modern issues sold by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
Paper money collectors depend on the Friedberg numbering system, a uniform method of cataloging bank notes that is the international standard for American currency. This numbering shorthand, along with the hundreds of photographs, enables anyone to instantly locate a specific note, and allows a dealer to advertise a note without need of extensive description. A distinguished panel of acknowledged experts on paper money has assisted the authors, enabling them to establish accurate and up-to-the minute valuations for all issues.
Sample pages from the 23rd edition can be seen on the book’s website, www.PaperMoneyoftheUS.com. The 8½ x 11-inch book is available in two printed and two electronic versions: A hard cover edition with sewn binding is priced at $69.95, and a soft cover one, at $48.95. Free shipping is included in the U.S.A. There are also two E-book options for $29.95 each: a USB stick (PC only), and a downloadable version at https://www.ebookshop.coin-currency.com/us/, which can also be purchased as a daily rental for $4.99.
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