Will the Charlton paper money catalogues be published in colour?

News: Welcome to the Canadian Paper Money Forum.

Most specialized paper money catalogues around the world are now published with full colour illustrations and I was wondering if there are any similar plans for the Charlton Standard Catalogues of Canadian Paper Money? I recently purchased two such colour catalogues from the UK and forum members may be interested.

The first catalogue is the well-known "ENGLISH PAPER MONEY" by Vincent Duggelby which is now in its 7th edition (2006). This catalogue contains 248 pages with prices in two grades. Modern notes (1950 and later) are priced in EF and UNC while earlier notes are generally priced in VF and EF.

The second catalogue is "PAPER MONEY OF IRELAND" by Bob Blake and Jonathan Callaway (1st edition, 2009). This is a magnificent catalogue which I felt should be reviewed separately in the "World Bank Notes" section of the forum below.

http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/forum/index.php?topic=10576.0

Both of these catalogues, and many others, are available from the publisher Pam West:

http://www.britishnotes.co.uk/?page=home

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I don't think it is feasible to publish a yearly or even a bi-yearly catalogue in colour.  Colour = more expensive = less copies sold per year = more expensive, and so the cost spiral continues.  If paper money prices were to flatten out such that the catalogue would be published only one every 4 or 5 years, then I'd say colour would be appropriate.  Each edition would then carry more importance and should look important.

I don't think it is feasible to publish a yearly or even a bi-yearly catalogue in colour.  Colour = more expensive = less copies sold per year = more expensive, and so the cost spiral continues.  If paper money prices were to flatten out such that the catalogue would be published only once every 4 or 5 years, then I'd say colour would be appropriate.  Each edition would then carry more importance and should look important.

Based upon an inspection of the several foreign paper money catalogues in my library your assertion would appear to be entirely correct! By way of example, the standard English catalogue by Duggleby has been published erratically over the years, as follows:

1st edition - 1975
2nd edition - 1980
3rd edition - 1984
4th edition - 1990
5th edition - 1994
6th edition - 2002
7th edition - 2006

As far as I am aware colour illustrations were first introduced in the 6th edition.

There are pros and cons to this issue. I guess it all comes down to whether collectors and others purchase catalogues primarily for the background information that they contain or the valuations that they contain. The Duggleby catalogue seems to be updated whenever a radically new series of notes is issued and this only occurs every few years.

Great opportunity for an entrepeneur to challenge with a better product for the Canadian Market.

As the product prices of collectibles continue to rise, the cost of the book relative to what a collector spends continues to drop.

Great opportunity for an entrepeneur to challenge with a better product for the Canadian Market.

As the product prices of collectibles continue to rise, the cost of the book relative to what a collector spends continues to drop.

I don't see the implied correlation between the cost of collectibles and the cost of the book.  Really wealthy collectors don't need a book to tell them what to spend on a note they want.  If anything, the people who can afford to buy the most expensive notes are the ones providing information for the book.  Most people buying the catalogues are of modest means, and they would not be too happy if they had to pay year after year after year for essentially the same book with the same colour pictures of the same notes, with the only differences being in the tables of dollar values assigned to such notes.  I think Ottawa hit the nail on the head in a previous posting above.  It's the substance most catalogue buyers want, not the style.

On a side note, Spink publishes the annual Coins of England & The United Kingdom in colour.  I find this incredibly ironic because coins have only one colour, that of the metal in which they are struck.  But then Spink is a high-end auction house and can leverage costs associated with making a full colour catalogue every year against the considerable sums they earn on their auctions.  Fortunately, The Charlton Press is not into such displays of extravagance.

A way to get a full color catalogue can be simply that Charlton's Press opens the possibility to buy a color version of any catalogue  online...As PDF format, you would have a copy on your computer....  No printing fees.  No reasons to pay an higher price (It should be lower in any case).  For the nostalgics, the Editor can keep a B&W paper catalog, but with less demand on it, it would be more expensive...

And I would even suggest to create a PDF version in which you can put comments (or additions, but not the contents it-self):  It would transform your catalogue into an inventory of your collection...

Charlton PDF!!!!

How many times have I thought, wouldn't it be great if I could get this in PDF, I could keep a copy on my Smart Phone, laptop at home, network share for work. Problem is it makes sharing the info really easy, rergardless of copyright.

A new business model Charlton? Web 2.0 version, with other valuable inforamtion and services to members. I would consider purhasing a pdf version and subscription to the site for a reduced cost as compared to a printed book. I don't buy a new one every other other year anyway. Why not save a tree or three too!!

Substance over style?  Sure, but the point is you can have both.

The problem with making anything digital is piracy.

Actually it would be nice if Charlton would publish a nice colour catalogue with more images similar to the size of the one they do for Charter Notes maybe every 5 years or so or when a new series of notes is produced.  I can't imagine the print run for the current catalogue is very large maybe a few 1000 if that - someone can correct me on this. A book issued every 5 years  would have a larger print run and maybe a wider appeal to collectors, potential collectors and non-collectors.

The back ground information almost never changes or something new is only added about every 5 years or so in the current catalogue format; other than the  information concerning replacement notes for current issues which I assume is out of date before it even get published. I assume anybody contributing to this information, such as several brick searchers who are members of this forum (I do not collect modern inserts - looks to much like work) are not directly compensated in anyway other than the value of their "finds" only become more valuable once they are recognized in the catalogue.  That's a lot of free research for a private company - please correct me if I'm wrong on this.

I think I would rather see a much smaller annual  guide issued - maybe 50 or 75 pages with pricing only. Even a separate issue for Chartered notes and Municipal/Depression Script.  I think that would serve their collector base better and would supplement the main colour catalogue guide which would be issued every 5 years or so. Something like this could be a fairly inexpensive proposition if it was in a pdf downloaded format only and probably more profitable for Charlton since they would bypass distributors  and shipping which appear to over 50% of the price of the current catalogue. Current distributors would still have the other larger catalogue which would have a life of 5 to 7 years instead of 1 or 2 years.

If you could download it for $5-6 would you, hardly worth pirating at that price and Charlton gets a free electronic mailing list for people interested in this specialized area of collecting. I assume that would be Charlton's whole sale price on a book of this size anyway.  I assume most of the pricing information they get from the panel is uncompensated anyway other than what mark-up profits they may get as dealers if they sell the book .

Wishful Thinking

Substance over style?  Sure, but the point is you can have both.

Sure you can, but at what cost?  re-read hanmer's post above yours.  He doesn't sound too willing to pay $20 every year to buy the current black-and-white version, and I'm sure there are many others who feel the same way.

The back ground information almost never changes or something new is only added about every 5 years or so in the current catalogue format; other than the  information concerning replacement notes for current issues which I assume is out of date before it even get published. I assume anybody contributing to this information, such as several brick searchers who are members of this forum (I do not collect modern inserts - looks to much like work) are not directly compensated in anyway other than the value of their "finds" only become more valuable once they are recognized in the catalogue.  That's a lot of free research for a private company - please correct me if I'm wrong on this.

   Wow, truer words have not been spoken, lol.  Especially the part about looking too much like work.

I think I would rather see a much smaller annual  guide issued - maybe 50 or 75 pages with pricing only. Even a separate issue for Chartered notes and Municipal/Depression Script.  I think that would serve their collector base better and would supplement the main colour catalogue guide which would be issued every 5 years or so. Something like this could be a fairly inexpensive proposition if it was in a pdf downloaded format only and probably more profitable for Charlton since they would bypass distributors  and shipping which appear to over 50% of the price of the current catalogue. Current distributors would still have the other larger catalogue which would have a life of 5 to 7 years instead of 1 or 2 years.

I agree totally.  It would be like how Microsoft sells Windows... You can buy either the whole software package or just the upgrade.

If you could download it for $5-6 would you, hardly worth pirating at that price

Don't underestimate how cheap some people can be.  Just ask the forum moderator who buys the catalogue every year in bulk and sells copies to forum members at a discount of a few dollars. It's a thriving business!  Some collectors will sell their grandmother's bones to get $5 off a catalogue.  And don't forget that segment of the computer-literate generation that thinks everything online should be free.  Some people hack and distribute copyrighted stuff just because they can.

Charlton PDF exists...  If you build it... it will come.

I scanned the pages I use most from my 21st and 22nd editions then converted them into a PDF.  Took an hour or so for each.

I own both books and I have never shared the PDF's I created.   I use them while I am at Work.   

I only have about 50-60 pages in each and mostly DOC to Multicolor in it. 

But it makes for a handy reference when you label it with bookmarks..

Once you cut out all the "Blah blahs" and just keep the Serial Ranges/Price Lists it gets short quick.

1954 $5 Mod Series.. Click Bookmark in PDF.. BAM up in your face.

I will continue to buy the Guide each year but hauling one to/from work everyday would be annoying.

I fully support Charlton and will do as long as I can for see but making these PDF's for my personal use saves me soo much time flipping pages.

Krause has most of thier books in PDF Format which is also good... try going through 1200 Pages looking for 1 note from a specific Country.  PDF Rules.. Plus it's even Searchable.

So if you want it in PDF... Scan it.   As Long as it is for your own personal use and you own the book.. I don't believe it is illegal??

Usually at the beginning of the books, they say "No part of this publication may be reproduced without expressed written consent of the publisher..." 

But I am not sure what the Charlton says - I don't have one handy at the moment where I am.

It's kind of like burning a DVD to watch at home, but still not the same.  I don't know the precise law about it. 

Yes I think practically every book has that...

Tell that to anyone in a Library photocopying Pages out of books.    Better get a cop to stand by the photocopier.

Just saying that I own the book.   I consider my PDF Files a "backup" in case my house burns down... lol.

I don't condone people Scanning the Charlton Guide and making PDF's when they don't own a copy.

The book is totally worth the small amount you pay for it.  Any Canadian Currency collector should have a copy. 

I still have my 8th Edition one... makes me cry.   I wish I had more money back in my 20's..  I would of bought a lot more notes.     Especially the Devil's Faces and 1935/37 Series notes.


I used to think $30 was nuts for a UNC+ $1 Devil's Face.