AMBPR is the bible for every serious collector of bust half-dollars. Steve Herrman provides us with an invaluable record of private and auction sales over the past 5 years (longer for rare varieties). This is NOT just a price guide for die variety collectors. The main listing includes all Red Book varieties (overdates and the like) irrespective of rarity. Steve alerts us to the Bust Half Nut Club’s periodic revision of rarity ratings. Separate listings allow you to search for sales of esoteric items such as bust half proofs, patterns, mint errors, countermarks and contemporary counterfeits. Sorry. SOLD OUT. Next edition due in October. Reserve now (no payment required until delivery).

2010 AMBPR Complete Edition on CD. AMBPR is useful, in part, because it is portable. We may bring it to coin shows without inconvenience. On occasion we are frustrated by Herrman’s practical decision to maintain portability by rolling off records at various intervals, starting at 5 years. If you want access to earlier records you are not alone. The 2010 AMBPR Complete Edition takes us back to 1984(!) and is available on CD. $45 Postpaid.

Bust Half Fever by Edgar Souders, 2d Ed. 2006. This classic introduction to the capped bust series belongs in every collector’s library. Brad Karoleff wrote the forward, where he notes, Edgar Souders has organized, in one easy-to-use volume, much of the information that previously took many years to accumulate. He has provided you with a study in “Bust Half Dollars 101.” If you don’t own this volume the decision to buy is the ultimate no brainer. Act now. I have but 4 copies left. Regularly $79.95, now $60 via media mail. Add $5 for priority Mail.

Contemporary Counterfeit Capped Bust Half Dollars, by Keith Davignon, 2nd edition 2010, edited by Richard Irons. Keith published the 1st edition in 1996. It was an overnight success. Fifteen years ago Keith identified and described 188 die pairings of counterfeit bust halves. The number has risen to 339! In my introduction to the 1st edition I wrote, “It appears that bust half fever inevitably draws collectors to … these fascinating and collectible pieces of 19th century criminal America.” Nothing has changed. The first time you encounter one of these often comical efforts to deceive merchants of mid 19th century you will be hooked. Sorry. SOLD OUT

• Dave Rutherford’s Bust Half Dollar Auction and Sales Results:
  http://www.busthalfprices.com
• Richard Iron’s Contemporary Counterfeit Bust Half Club:
  http://www.cccbhcc.com/
• The John Reich Collectors Society:
  http://www.jrcs.org/
• The John Reich Newsletter:
  http://jr-newsletter.blogspot.com/
• The American Numismatic Association:
  http://www.money.org/