Antiques Books

If I was just beamed down to this planet and needed to learn about 1964.5 to 2001 Mustangs in a day then this would be the book. Nice, concise and lots of pretty pictures. I did expect a lot more cut-away drawings from DK however since I do love their travel guides for that feature.

For those who are only interested in the first generation Mustangs (1964.5-1973), this book is not for you since half of the book is devoted to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation Mustangs.

For twenty bucks, a nice addition to any automobile enthusist library however.

The book has a lot of info.I may be 12 and a girl but I LOVE Mustangs.I can refer to my book to get info on a 69 429 Boss.But I wish it had the original list price!The pictures are great! Not only does it have old Mustangs but they also have newer mustangs as well.I enjoy seeing the evalution of the Mustang

This was a gift for my boyfriend--a Mustang owner and lover! He loves it! It's very informative, has great pictures, and information on the history of the Mustang. This book includes the number of models reproduced and he loved that aspect! Not only does it include info on the cars itself but Mustang Memorabilia!! Too Cool of a Book!

The Ford Mustang has had a love affair with Americans since its inception. This book, with polished photos, easy to read format, and brilliant content is a must purchase for any car enthusist.

The book traces each generation of Mustangs as well as the difefrent varations in each "family." It shows the car in all its glory as well as its failures. We get to view the Shelby's, Saleens, Cobras, Mach's, and GTs as well as the pathic Mustang II Coupe. The reader will also get a glance at Mustangs production models and designs.

If you like the American pony cars, then you'll love this book. Long live the Mustang!

This is one great book. The cover for starters grabs your attention and when you open the book, Wow. Great photos, information, and the history of the Mustang all rolled up in one excellent book. I have always loved the Ford Mustang, as I am sure many of you who are considering this book are. And I promise, you will not be disappointed with this book. From development to its muscle car era, even great info on the Shelby Mustangs,and the late models, including the new Bullitt for 2001, this book has it all. The price is a bit high, but when you see this book, you will know the money spent is well worth the price of the book. This is a DK book, who makes some of the best books that explain things in laymens terms, for me what a lifesaver! I have the Star Wars books they produced, and this Mustang book carries on in that tradition of explaining to the reader what things mean, why one car had this option, and this car did not, how many cars were produced in a model year, what motors were offered, when the motors were first offered, why Carroll Shelby stopped making the Shelby Mustangs in 1970, why the Mustang has the following it does, and so much more. I would type more, but I am limited to so many words, but take my word, this is the Ultimate Mustang book. For the beginner just discovering Mustangs, this book is a great starting point, and for those of us who have known what it is about a Mustang, this book just adds to the mystique and does not disappoint. I say buy it. If you love the Mustang as much as I do, [your] money will be well spent. Just a great book all around!!

This is a fun and entertaining look at the world of United States! Highly Recommended!! Almost a picture on every page- makes it easy to remember and learn!

When will the next book of this stamp book series come out? The first one is terrific!!!!

I loved this book. It changed the way i think about stamps. In fact my grades went up becuase of it and it made be able to read more mature and complicated books.

I love this book because it is a very organized look at United States stamps. It follows stamps one by one from the first postmaster provisonal issues to the first commemorative. Please hurry and write volume two1

I am a collector of United States stamps. I was confused by all the different terms and types of stamps. I have all the standard stamp catalogs including that of Scott's but I wanted more information in just one source. I took a chance and bought this book, hoping to learn more about stamps. It really was just I was looking for. It is full of useful information. The tables are wonderful but even better are the text and pictures. The author makes the stamps come alive by his style of writing and even his humor. You can read the book cover to cover to understand the story and evolution of stamps from the very beginning. Or you can use it as a reference book to look something up on a particular stamp. I now understand all those confusing varieties of what appear to be the same stamp. I only wish the pictures were color. That is about the only drawback. I can't wait for the next volume in the series so I can learn more about the stamps I collect.

I could not have decorated my recently renovated 100 year old Victorian home without this book. Friends and family think I have great potential as a decorator, little do they know.

I found this book at a local library, I have went threw several books to get ideas on styles and of the victorian era. I found this one to be one of the best. It has wonderful, all color photographs, has a dictionary of old words and is wonderful for discribing details. I am going to purchase it for my own collection.

I bought this book about a year ago and I still refer back to it often. The photos are so gorgeous, they give me goosebumps. They transport me into a place I'd like to live, a fantasy of design and genteel composure. The text is informative and the quality of photos is top notch. I highly recommend this book to folks who like Victorian design, both contemporary and traditional. You will feel the money was well spent!

This book is loaded with color photographs! I went through this book several times before putting it back down. It's a must have if you are trying to get decorating ideas for a victorian room.

This is a beautiful book to dream by. I bought one because we are building a Victorian home, but this would be enjoyed by anyone who loves Victorian style and design. Lovely!

I was really excited when I received this book. It's gorgeous and the pictures are beautiful. I was planning a trip to LA and this book served as a huge resource for me. When I got to LA though, more than a few of the places in the book were no longer in business and I went to LA barely 2 months after this book came out. Plus, some of the places she did describe were really hyped up and were a waste of time. This was very disapointing. If the author grew up somewhere and is going to write abook about it, you can't just assume the places are still there. You have to do your research. Hopefully, Vintage New York will be more informative.

Vintage L.A. is like a magical treasure trove - filled with historic gems from Tinseltown past, endearing & insightful interviews with sparkling locals, dazzling photographs and endless riches to behold! It is apparent that the author, Jennifer Brandt-Taylor, is a true fan of Hollywood history and the City of Angels. She takes the reader on a whimsical "insider" tour, with many surprise stops along the way. Jennifer Brandt-Taylor does a wonderful job at inspiring the reader to look closer, to find divinely decadent inspiration in something that most pedestrians would pass by without a glance. I read this book in one sitting, and then placed it on my art-deco bookshelf alongside other favorites, "Eve's Hollywood" and "Weetzie Bat." I will make sure to leave enough room on that shelf for Jennifer Brandt-Taylor's next book...

Knowing a good deal about book design and something about near-history, I can say that this book is a perfect package. From the gorgeous full-color pages saturated with great photography and vintage postcards to the colorful language used to illustrate this opulent city of dreams, Vintage LA is the magnum opus to Los Angeles. Anyone I know who has read this book recalls sitting down in the evening to crack the spine, and a few hours later they were finished, and ready to buy plane tickets to LA. It's a beautiful book!

This book covers just about everything I like about LA -- the good old-timey stuff! It's beautifully photographed, typeset and laid out from cover to cover, looking and reading like a Disneyland brochure from the '60s. The author leads you to historic walking & shopping destinations in every neighborhood in and around LA, with a special focus on all things glam and baroque. The photos are spectacular and the descriptions are fun, first-person, non-snooty and truly evocative of the wonder of visiting these groovy underappreciated relics. You'll want to visit each and every spot, and the more of them you experience, the more your view of LA will change from the unfair stereotype of a dumb, violent, smoggy wasteland to a true love of this lovely, historic fantasyland left behind by dreamers of the past.

Hats off to Jennifer Brandt-Taylor, the vintage queen! Her new book VINTAGE L.A. is a well-crafted homage to the delightful assortment of styles and flavors which comprise the identity of Los Angeles.

It is an extremely well balanced and thoughtfully compiled collection of reviews, photos, tidbits of trivia, and other ephemera which sparked my interest in revisiting the town in which I live.

Collecting vintage is one of my true passions. Finer men's attire of bygone eras is my own calling, so when Jennifer referred to the boutique Playclothes I was obliged to investigate. What a treat! I left with 2 deadstock silk scarves from the Edwardian era and some other treasures for well below market value. Thanks, Jennifer!

The love which the author has for her hometown is apparent in her features of the magical haunts and classic splendor of old Hollywood. Two of my absolute favorite places to soak up some genuine Tinseltown are the Magic Castle and the Beverly Hills Hotel. Hands down the finest establishments in which to imbibe.

It was a true inspiration flipping through the expertly layed out pages. My eyes were led along from page to page as if a kid in a candy store had been turned loose on a shopping spree. A plethora of colors and styles was arranged like a bouquet, enticing the reader to dive in and experience the finest this American epicenter of culture has to offer.

One thing I absolutely loved was her interspersed features of vintage lovers from all walks of fame in their respective environments. Catching a glimpse of how these zany characters live and reading their own reflections on the things which keep them inspired was a fascinating allusion to the eclecticism of Los Angeles.

If at all you are interested in planning a trip to Los Angeles, please do yourself a favor and let Jennifer Brandt-Taylor be your guide to the stars!

I am a collector of WW11 items and this has come in very handy for Identifing items, when the tags have been removed from items, A lot of history of the item and would recommend this book to others. There are better books out there but this one is very usful for the novice.

Warman's World War II Collectibles book is very informative but it leaves out some gear that could be studied, like tents and the gear that goes along with with tents. I realize that covering so much more material in a single volume could be prohibitive.

Excellent reference for the military collectible "buff". Doesn't have EVERYTHING, but there's lots of good information for you to value items you have, or want to procure...Worth the money...

Being a intermediate collector, I thought this book was great for identifying and giving a good price guide for a great deal of WWII collectibles. Advanced collectors probably would not appreciate the overview of many subjects, but this book plainly states it is not specific in all areas. I would definetly take this to shows for ID help for sure! Great buy!

I did not intend to write this review today because I just obtained the book today. I found it by chance at a book store and since I am a specialist in World War II numismatics (coins and especially paper money and more), I bought it. When I got home, I found that there were no reader reviews here so I thought that I shold put in at least and short/temporary one.
There is nothing on numismatics in the book which you might think would turn me off, but I did not really expect to find much if anything on numismatics. This or any book can only be an introduction to WWII items. Heck, our own book on just the numismatics of the war is over 800 pages. So far I have found the text satisfying if brief. Graf lists many hundreds of items in several chapters. The illustrations are excellent. I learned a lot and expect to learn much more. I will try to write a more detailed review later.

This book is thorough. This book covers the topic of wheel and pinion cutting very well. I would like to have seen a chapter on CNC.

Grins

The book under review in my opinion is without doubt the standard published text in the contemporary horological literature on its subject.

The material is comprehensive and clearly prsesented.

This book was a Christmas gift for my brother-in-law who is a machinist who repairs clocks, vintage Victrolas, etc. The book is full of machines that he has never seen before. A true winner!!

One of the best books on gear cutting written so an average machinist can understand it.

Fanatastic book, and a bargain at the price. This book should be of interest to all clock makers, model makers, and home shop machinist. Anyone interested in the history of machine tools and clock making will also find this work of real interest. The first section covers the history of wheel cutting and the later part deals with all aspects of gear making in detail. Covers a wide range of gear cutting equipment, how to make cutters, and related watch and clock making operations. Absolutely the best book on the subject!!

Jazz Life is a great book in every senses: Fantastic photographs,very good informative text and wonderful audio CD, besides its weight and its size. Very, very good. Great find.

Gorgeous book. One that I will want to have out and look through over and over. Amazing, you see something different every time you look through it.

This book has great pictures of famous entertainers. It is very heavy, though. I got the best price through Amazon. It came more quickly than I imagined, We are very pleased with the book and the service and wouuld do it again.

If you were a jazz fan in the Fifties this book will be the ultimate visual memory jogger. It is a huge book, too, weighing in at over fifteen pounds (a bit more with its handy carrying box) and with spreads opening to an impressive twenty-three inches wide by sixteen deep. The 696 beautifully printed pages feature an expanded collection of photos originally taken for the 1961 German book 'Jazz Life' produced by Joachim Berendt and William Claxton.

In four months during 1960 these two motored across the America and it would seem photographed every important jazz musician that mattered and what stunning photos they are. Page after page of folks you have been listening to for years and not just recording studio shots but plenty of informal and location photos. Musicians everywhere get a look in, New Orleans, Kansas, St Louis, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York, from ragtime to bop to East and West coast styles. Each area has an essay and all the photos are captioned. Looking through the book for the first time with its huge page size and Claxton's sympathetic jazz camera is a rather awesome experience.

There is a forty-two minute CD with the book (the original German edition had two seven inch LPs) of music recorded by Berendt but I thought it was rather bland in its choice of tracks. Predominately New Orleans traditional and spirituals with a very small sampling of other styles some of which annoyingly fade out before the end. I bet at the time though the music added to the book's success in a still rather war-torn Germany.

'Jazz Life' celebrates a great American music style with photos you can almost hear. I doubt there will be anything as good as this published again.

*A Shorty Rogers tune dedicated to Bill Claxton

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

I just received this enormous book; yes enormous in every way. Both in vision, content, printing and weight. I have plenty of jazz photo books and some earlier collections by Claxton, but this certainly reaches beyond the rest. It reminds me of the work by the great Cartier-Bresson. It is far beyond publicity shots and the compositions are real and echoes what language can never say. I am reminded of the great writer Albert Murray. He delves deep into the entire ouvre of this American art form. The large two page bleed photos are breathtaking. The book is largely b&w which suits me just fine. One seldom comes across such empathy and passion for a subject and at the same time shoots like a painter. This is a bargain at twice the price.

Ladies, you know it all, do it all, have it all (what's important, anyway) and isn't it time you kept in touch with your other super-pals in a way that says it all?

Just forget that amateur email stuff (just so ten-minutes ago) and step into the age of WONDER!

great for jotting a quick note. vintage ww. great value. friends have raved upon receipt.

Not only is this item cool because it pays tribute to one of the most awesome super heros ever, but it is also one of the most fun and convenient stationary sets ever. It's fantastic for writing a short note to someone, or maybe even including a photo or something. No envelopes are necessary, as the paper folds and has lickable adhesive that seals itself. I've had many compliments from friends who have recieved one of my Wonder Woman special deliveries. Great buy!

Although few probably still mail friendly letters, it's gonna be one of those great collectors' items that WW fans dig out in 10 years and say, "Ooooooh!"

This is a great item to have if you're a Wonder Woman fan and if you like letter writing. Each page is filled with great images of Wonder Woman and fun to write on to send personal messages to friends & family. There is about five different graphic images and a total of 40 stationery sheets. A must have item!

If you're a Trans-Oceanic aficionado like myself, you need this book! These sets command a mystique like no other and this book is an excellent tribute to these outstanding receivers.

As a collector of Trans-Oceanics, I found this to be the best book I have read in awhile. Couldn't put it down.

The book covers several areas: the history of the Trans-Oceanics, details of the various models, restoration and repair information, and accessories.

The history information is well worth reading, and told me a lot I didn't know about the radios.

The repair/restoration sections are excellent, whether you are experienced with electronics or not.

I would say this book is a must-have for anyone with an interest in Trans-Oceanics

This is easily the best written book for collectors that I've read. Not only are its 160 magazine-sized pages thorough and exhaustive in their presentation of history, key personalities, and technical data, but the book is thoughtfully structured to be as useful as a reference as it is an entertaining read. A wealth of pictures, many in color, come from ads, from Zenith archives, and from individual collections.

The book places the genesis and subsequent evolution of the TO clearly in historical context and explains the impact of the TO on the commercial development and acceptance of the portable radio. The authors provide practical advice for collectors, even citing restoration techniques and specific restoration products used by museums.

Especially gratifying is the use of endnotes that provide sources of historical information. More than just references, the endnotes contain enough interesting anecdotal data that you'll find yourself reading them in their entirety when you finish the main text.

If you are interested in the history of radio for any reason, you won't go wrong with this fascinating, authoritative work. I expect that it has already significantly increased interest in the collecting of Trans-Oceanics.

I recently acquired a 1956-57 model Y600 at a flea market. The Zenith Trans-Oceanic is clearly in a class by itself and I wanted to learn as much about the history of this model as possible. What a pleasant surprise when I received "The Zenith Trans-Oceanic, The Royalty of Radios" and found it to be extremely well documented, highly entertaining and it even includes a restoration guideline section. The print quality is first class with all the historical photographs of related personages and reproduction of Trans-Oceanic advertisements that a reader could want. The writing style is both scholarly and entertaining. In short this book has provided significant additional pleasure in owning, restoring and listening to a radio worthly of being known as a historical benchmark in radio history. Thanks to Amazon Books the finding and acquiring this book was made easy!

Whenever radio-guys assemble to swap tales of great radios one name stands above the rest - the Zenith Trans-Oceanic. Considered the radio for listening to the world, Trans-Oceanic portables were one of the finest engineered and designed products made in America. I learned of the magic of the Trans-Oceanic from my foster Dad, who carried one (the R520\URR military version) in Korea. He told me it was the most reliable radio he had ever seen. A few years later I bought a 600 series and discovered for myself the joys of short-wave listening. I carried that Zenith from the States to Europe where, two years later, I bought a Royal 3000-1 which went back to the States and then on to Southeast Asia. The Zenith Trans-Oceanic - The Royalty of Radios, is one of the finest collector books I have ever seen. The author's spent more than two years researching the Zenith archives to bring this book to life. Page after page of beautifully produced color, combined with black and white photographs show each model inside and out, along with original magazine ads presented in their original format. Information covering the origin of the Trans-Oceanic and model changes through the years make for interesting reading. Also included are repair hints, as well as collecting information. The section on original cost compared to 1996 dollars demonstrates how expensive these sets were when new. The original Trans-Oceanic sold for $75 in 1942, which translates to $695 today. The most astounding price was on the first transistorized model, the 1000-D, introduced in 1958 at a 1996 price of over $1400! This is a book for anyone interested in the history of one of the finest products ever produced in the United States - the Zenith Trans-Oceanic radio. The authors, publisher and printer deserve a thank you for producing this fine volume. by Bob Moore The Roving Editor

CS:

I received this book and believe it is as expected. Price is at FMV (Fair Market Value). I have not yet proof read it but what I have seen it makes a great reference for those who collect currency. However, it would have been helpful to include the Friedberg number in the Appendix along with the description. Yes, this number can be variable but you have included prices that are also variable and approximate. It may have been better to give a ratio(range)year column price divided by the face value of the currency.

This book was exactly what I expected. Good photos and stories behind 100 of the most famous notes in history. Great as a reference or as a coffe table book.

This is an incredible book to have in your library if your a collector of U.S. Paper Currency or not. Stunning pictures of each of the notes this book goes into great detail in discussing. I have this book and the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins book sitting out in my livingroom for all to see and everyone who has stopped by can not help but pick up these books. Then the oh's and ah's start pouring out !!! Absolute incredible book to have in anyone's private library without a doubt.

It is the rare numismatic book that is educational AND entertaining. This book is one of those rare books.
I wrote a review of this book for the Bank Note Reporter, the newpaper for collectors of paper money. I have included an only slightly altered version of that review below.

My best purchase at the Chicago Paper Money Exposition was a copy of the new book 100 Greatest American Currency Notes by two of my favorite numismatists--Q. David Bowers and David M. Sundman. Chet Krause and Cliff Mishler wrote a foreword for the book making that four of my favorites all in one book. No, that is not right. Tom Denly was something called valuations editor for the book so that makes five of my favorite--and greatest--numismatists all in one volume.
In short, the book is beautiful to behold and a joy to read. That sums it up quite nicely, but I do have a lot more to say about it. I feel that I am particularly qualified to do this because I had started a book with exactly the same premise. I still have my notebook with my work. That means that they stole my idea! Of course that is easy to say after they have completed their work and I only have a notebook. It is also untrue. The original idea was Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth's popular 100 Greatest American Coins. Imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery. I must also say that Bowers and Sundman did a far better job than I would have done (not that I did not have a few enhancements).
The basic premise of the book is to select and discuss the 100 greatest American notes. The authors have done this admirably. The basic methodology was to survey a wide group of dealers asking them to list what they considered to be the top notes. While the methodology was good and the results were great, my first complaint is that I would have liked to have learned more about the methodology. The authors tabulated the results then provided the discussion. As the creators of this project, they have a greater insight than anyone on the subject. I would at a minimum have liked to read more of their thoughts on the results, but these are small complaints.
If you have not seen the book you can cast a silent vote right now for your top note or top ten. Now that you have done that, you will probably not be surprised that the clear favorite of the survey was the "Grand watermelon" ($1000 Series 1890 Silver Certificate). The authors expected it to be number one and I had it number one in the notes for my book. You have to figure that a note with a nickname like that would come in first or to look at it the other way that a note worthy of being first would have a nick name. Indeed, nine of the top ten have nicknames.
Two pages are devoted to discussing the grand watermelon and each of the top ten notes. Thereafter it is one page per note. This is the meat of the book. Indeed, the book could just as easily have been something like 100 Great Paper Money Stories.
The two Davids excelled in the preparation of the text to describe the notes. They supplemented the illustrations of the notes and their discussions with additional illustrations (some of these of coins (gasp)). Most ot these are excellent and some are great in both content and quality. They are a highlight of the book. This seems to be an appropriate place to mention the superb quality of book production. It is color throughout and truly excellent. My one complaint is that the book is in a large format 10 x 12 inches. Many people will consider this a feature. Authors (including me) like these large formats, but they are harder to read. They look great on the coffee table, but are difficult to handle curled up in a chair or in an airline torture seat.
I did not know that the watermelon description of this note could be traced back to an 1891 newspaper story. Perhaps I had read this before, but if I had, I had forgotten it. The entire quotation from the paper is included. From the footnotes at the back of the book I learned this interesting tidbit. The quotation is "From an 1891 clipping, no day date, in a scrapbook compiled in 1891 and 1892 (now owned by Q. David Bowers)." I found many of the notes worth reading.
Each entry includes a box with "historic Market Values" and "Commentary on Value." This is the work of the valuations editor. This book is not a catalog of values (I like that), but the inclusion of this information is interesting in its own right and is nice balances with the text and graphics. When I was working on my project, I had not thought of anything like this.
Number two in the survey is the $500 national bank note. It is a good and obvious choice. It was also number two on my list.
The third note in the survey is Massachusetts Bay Colony 5-shilling notes of December 10, 1690. It is the first government-issue American paper money (according to Eric Newman). Among other interesting (amazing) things that I learned in this entry is that in the 17th century the annual calendar ran from March 25 to March 24. I also learned that the unique example of this note resides in the Essex Institute, Salem, Massachusetts. That is certainly an appropriate city. I wonder if the note is on public display.
The balance of the top ten are very interesting indeed. Instead of being great rarities they are dominated by relatively common notes and certainly are affordable in circulated grades to most collectors. The one exception is number eight, the "Spread Eagle Note" (Series of 1862 and 1863 $100 Legal Tender note).
The others are respectively in positions four though ten (except eight): Lazy Deuce ($2 National Bank Note), $5 Educational note (Series of 1896 Silver Certificate), and Bison Note" (Series of 1891 $10 Legal Tender note), $1 "Educational Note (Series of 1896 Silver Certificate," $20 "Technicolor note" (Series of 1905 Gold Certificate, and the "Indian Chief" (Series of 1899 $5 Silver Certificate).
The other ninety notes include a wide array of interesting and historical notes. The entry on every single one is worth studying, but to me the most interesting (especially for discussion here) are those that might not be obvious choices.
United States fractional notes get two entries on the list. Interestingly, number 14, the fractional currency shield, is not a note at all, but a virtual collection of notes. Having said, that I think that it is a good choice.
Four Confederate notes make the list with several of them having nicknames (the Indian Princess and Montgomery notes (two denominations making the list)).
That vast, amorphous, and ill defined area known as obsolete notes are also included. Numbers 23 and 24 are Santa Clause notes and polar bear notes even though they are more categories than actual notes. Again, I think that they were good choices.
I was pleased and even a little surprised to see both World War II issues (Hawaii and North Africa) make the top 100. They won their places because of their extraordinary historical reasons for issue.
These various categories of notes included in the book are the apparent reason for the awkward book title. I offer this criticism with respect because I struggled with this problem in my unversion of this book. If you say United States notes you probably should not include Confederate notes. Colonial and Continental notes would not really fit. "Obsolete" notes would be in doubt too. Even American notes (as chosen) presents some problems. Does American include Canada? Mexico? I do not like the term currency notes, but I understand the problem. Bank notes does not fit because most of the notes selected were not issued by banks under any definition. Many people (unfortunately) would simply say currency but that is a very bad choice because currency is coins and paper money. In most constructions paper money does not work (100 Greatest American Paper Money). Even notes has some problems. Certainly, national bank notes are notes. but are silver and gold certificates notes? In the final analysis, having said that I do not like what we was used, but I do not have a better title.
I love the book, but I disagree with some of the choices. That is one of the wonderful aspects of books of lists. They are certain to generate discussion if not controversy. I was surprised that no error or star notes made the list. I can understand that they can be excluded as being sort of varieties of other issues, but, still, I think that a token from either or both of these categories could have been included.
You will probably not be surprised that I think that a military payment certificate should have been on the list. Having said that, I should be prepared to tell you which one. I gave that considerable thought in my work. I considered the unknown replacements and the unique replacements. Of course there is the Series 541 $5 with its attractive design and world record price history. I thought about the unique specimen booklets for Series 541 and 591. I really liked them because they have nicknames ("Comptroller Booklets"). Finally, I decided that the best choice would be the unique specimen and progressive proof set of Series 661. It does not have a widely recognized nickname, but it is still a good choice. I had a brief exchange with Tom Denly on this very subject after drafting this review. He said that he thought that if an MPC were to be included, it should be something like a Series 692 $10 or $20 because they would be very recognizable and would also be collectible. I like his thinking!
There are other good features good features of the book that I have not mentioned. The formatter is all quite good. You can imagine my surprise at finding my name mentioned. Earning that honor as an old timer (my term) is a double edged honor. The selected bibliography and recap of the top 100 in an appendix are also useful.
I expect that this will be a very successful book, just as the Garrett-Guth version on coins was. Can it generate more spinoffs like the 100 Greatest World Notes, or even the 100 Greatest National Bank Notes? I doubt it, but I would love to have both of those in my own library.
If it is not obvious, I highly recommend 100 Greatest American Currency Notes by Q. David Bowers and David Sundman. It was published by Whitman Publishing and should be available wherever numismatic books are sold and even in many book stores at around $30.