Coin Collecting Albums – A Complete History & Catalog: Volume Two, Library of Coins and Treasury of Coins

Coin Collecting Albums – A Complete History & Catalog: Volume Two, Library of Coins and Treasury of Coins reveals the story behind perhaps the most popular line of coin albums ever produced. Issued from 1959 to 1971, the Library of Coins albums were notable for their extensive list of titles that included all United States coin series by date, mint and varieties, with the exception of gold coins. A complete roster of albums for Canada’s decimal coinage was also offered. No other albums were so thorough in their coverage, and they were the brand of choice for all advanced coin collectors. The brainchild of famed numismatist and dealer Robert Friedberg, these albums were sold primarily through his chain of coin hobby counters that were operated in dozens of department stores around the country from the 1940s until as recently as the 1990s.

Also detailed in this book is the lesser known line of junior coin albums for beginners that Friedberg marketed as the Treasury of Coins. Though never as popular as the Library of Coins, the Treasury of Coins albums have emerged as rarities today and are eminently collectable. Indeed, all of the coin albums produced by Friedberg’s publishing division, The Coin and Currency Institute, remain desirable today. The Library of Coins albums are still sought by veteran collectors for the display of their coins, as no comparable albums are currently in production, while the Treasury of Coins albums are desired as collectors’ items in their own right.

All titles, editions and varieties of each album are fully described and numbered in this book, which includes a 64-page color section illustrating all the products put out by The Coin and Currency Institute. It is a deluxe, hardcover reference similar in quality to Lange’s acclaimed Volume One, which studied the National Coin Album and all of its associated products.

David W. Lange’s new book features much more than simply a catalog of coin albums. Also found within its covers is a biography of Robert Friedberg and his family, as well as histories of his two businesses, Capitol Coin Company and the aforementioned Coin and Currency Institute. The latter still operates under the presidency of Robert’s elder son, Arthur Friedberg, and it’s known for several landmark books that remain in print to this day.

Binding: Hardcover
Edition: 1st
Publication Date: May 2016
Size: 8.5x11
Pages: 136