Publisher Dennis Tucker Reflects on Longtime Numismatic Career – WorthPoint

“I feel my work in numismatic publishing has been one of my most important contributions to the hobby,” said numismatic publisher and author Dennis Tucker. Anyone familiar with coin collecting would have to agree.

In 2004, Tucker joined Whitman Publishing and helped lead the “modern renaissance” in numismatic publishing by issuing many titles on the coin market, banking, and US financial history. Most importantly, he helped publish twenty editions of the Red Book, known by those in the hobby as the “single most important reference work for US coinage.”

Now, two decades later, Tucker’s recent retirement from that longtime role has made waves among coin collectors and dealers everywhere. Although he is no longer a publisher by title, Tucker remains very involved in the field. In addition to finishing his term aboard the Treasury Department’s Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, Tucker is still regularly attending coin-related events, like the Central States Numismatic Society’s Convention in April, where he received the organization’s Q. David Bowers Lifetime Achievement Award. Tucker is also spending his time leading the board of directors of the nonprofit Brayhope Farm, which provides programs for autistic children and others in need.

In a recent interview with WorthPoint, Tucker reflected on his career, how he got started, and what he’s looking forward to in the numismatics hobby.

BEHIND DENNIS TUCKER’S NUMISMATICS CAREER

When did you realize you wanted to be deeply involved in numismatics? How did your passion for coins and currency begin?

I knew since childhood that coins were fascinating, had interesting stories to tell, and could connect me to the rest of the world and to every point in American history. This was way back before the internet. Material culture—physical artifacts—carried greater weight back then (or at least had fewer easily accessible competitors for the attention of a kid who loved history).

My first “rare” coin was a 1937 Buffalo nickel that my older brother Mike gave me. I was seven years old; he was twenty, and an active collector. He also let me borrow his Red Book. I read it cover to cover and was hooked. Once my family learned about my growing interest in coins, aunts and uncles and cousins would give me pocket change from their travels, and coins started showing up as birthday and holiday gifts. Mike continued to encourage me. My parents took me to coin shops and shows. I started subscribing to numismatic papers around my early teens, and never really stopped learning and collecting, though I did slow down a bit in college.

I wrote occasional letters to the editor of the hobby papers, corresponded with dealers and other collectors, and collected mainly through mail-order. In my late twenties, I was in the right place at the right time to purchase a couple of very large collections of medals, which I organized, studied, cataloged, and sold for a profit. My passion was more as a student of numismatics, though, not as a dealer.

When the opportunity came to join Whitman Publishing as the company’s publisher, I was thirty-two years old and had more than twenty years of experience in the hobby. By that time, I’d built my career in corporate communications, public relations, and publications management. I’d taken a detour into the nonprofit world and was looking to get back into the corporate arena when I was offered two positions in the same week: as a director of communications for Coca-Cola North America and as publisher at Whitman. Both were headquartered in Atlanta, where I’d moved a few years earlier. If you’ve ever lived in Atlanta, you know that Coca-Cola is huge here, and I was thrilled to be offered such an important position. On the other hand, the idea of working at Whitman Publishing, with authors I’d read since I was a kid, and with books that were crucial to my own development as a collector … I wouldn’t say it was an easy decision, but Coke didn’t really have a chance.

It’s hard to say exactly where, along that path, I was first deeply involved in numismatics. It was a natural, gradual process of learning more and more, getting deeper and deeper into both the hobby and the industry. Certainly, 2004, when I started working at Whitman Publishing, was a tipping point to a new level.

You joined Whitman Publishing a year after Q. David Bowers began serving as Whitman’s numismatic director. Fast-forward nearly twenty years later, the Central States Numismatic Society has presented you with its annual Q. David Bowers Award. How was it working with and learning from such a renowned numismatist, and how does it feel to now receive an honor named after him?

Working with Dave Bowers has been one of the major highlights of my numismatic career. His books were among the first I read about coins and paper money, as a young collector, so I’d been his student for many years by the time we finally met. Our introduction was by phone, shortly after I was hired as Whitman’s publisher. We had a wonderful conversation. A few minutes into it, he told me, “If you keep calling me ‘Mr. Bowers,’ I’m going to call you ‘Mr. Tucker’!” and from that point on we’ve been on a first-name basis.

My credentials—collector since childhood, professional writer and editor, etc.— carried me a certain distance, but I still had to prove myself. Proving myself as a manager and team leader was one thing; with Dave, I always wanted to prove myself as a numismatist, as a partner worthy of collaborating day in and day out. One of my career accomplishments I’m most proud of is being able to say, “I was Dave Bowers’s publisher.” Receiving the Bowers Award from Central States makes me feel good. I pause and reflect on how little I’ve done compared to QDB, but it also energizes me to always strive “onward and upward,” as he constantly encourages.

You’ve been described as “part of the modern renaissance of numismatic publishing.” How would you describe your personal contribution to the hobby?

I feel my work in numismatic publishing has been one of my most important contributions to the hobby. At Whitman, I had a strong team of hugely talented co-workers and a very helpful network of mentors. In addition to Dave Bowers, I’ve learned a lot from another of my numismatic heroes, Kenneth Bressett, about many, many aspects of numismatic publishing. Ken had worked on the Red Book for more than forty years by the time I started at Whitman. He advised me on everything he’d learned from R.S. Yeoman starting in the 1950s, and from his own long experience in the field. Ken has always emphasized honesty and integrity in publishing—being impartial, reporting facts, and not being unduly influenced by market trends or the personal interests of any particular dealer or collector. We’ve talked a lot about diligence in research, the importance of accuracy, and other factors crucial to good nonfiction publishing.

Whitman caught lightning in a bottle in the early 2000s. Everything came together in the right place at the right time: the people, processes, relationships, creativity, and resources. Charles and Joel Anderson brought the energy of Anderson Press and their far-reaching business empire to Whitman when they bought the company from St. Martin’s Press in 2003. When I joined, Whitman felt a bit like a folder-and-album company that happened to make a few important books. Over the next twenty years, we developed new product lines and brought hundreds of great new books to the hobby. It was an amazing time, and I’m proud to have been part of it.

Beyond publishing, I feel I’ve made solid contributions to the United States Mint and to American coinage as the numismatic specialist on the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. This is a public committee that advises the Secretary of the Treasury on U.S. coin and medal designs and themes. In April 2024, I ended my second four-year term. When I was nominated to the CCAC in 2016, friends and colleagues were enthusiastic in their congratulations. I told them, “Don’t congratulate me yet. … Wait until I finish my service, and if I did a good job, congratulate me then!” I hope I’ve earned the kudos. I’ve taken my work on the CCAC very seriously. Committee members log countless hours in research, travel, design portfolio reviews, and administrative and public meetings. It’s quite an experience, seeing the inner workings of modern American coinage and trying your best to steer things in a good direction.

Dave Bowers gave me this advice for the hobby and life in general: “To have a friend, be a friend.” To the extent that I’ve been successful at it, I count this as a significant personal contribution to the hobby. I’ve tried to always assist other numismatists, make connections and introductions, give professional guidance when asked, help others reach their goals, promote creative work, publicize good news, and generally be an enthusiastic ambassador for the hobby. Those are things everyone can contribute to our community.

THOUGHTS ON THE COIN MARKET

What is the most remarkable item, event, or trend you’ve seen in coins and currency?

There have been a lot of big changes since I started collecting in the 1980s: the return of commemorative coinage, the birth of the bullion coin program, the rise of third-party grading, the expansion of markets, and access to information afforded by the internet.

The most remarkable trend I’ve witnessed, which will continue into the next generation, has been the change in coinage itself. When I was a kid and well into my twenties, American coins were almost static. Congress and the Mint made very few moves to innovate in coin design. That’s changed dramatically since 1999, starting with the State quarters program, followed by the National Parks quarters, American Women quarters, and other creative works. The platinum bullion coinage has become a tapestry of outstanding art. Commemorative coins and national medals have pushed the boundaries into new creative directions. Look at the incredible amount of detail in modern commemoratives compared to those of a generation ago. The United States Mint has really hit its stride as a creative powerhouse of medallic/numismatic art, and I see that renaissance continuing.

How do you view the current numismatic market? Where do you believe it’s heading?

This is a big question and can be looked at from many angles. The current numismatic market has a lot of promise, in terms of new collectors entering the field, serious money being invested in rarities, and lots of excitement and innovation in shows, auctions, marketing, communications, and how business is done. The audience is diversifying. Over the twenty years I was Whitman’s publisher, I saw the percentage of women collecting U.S. coins increase, and the age of the average hobbyist decrease. There are significant forces aligning and working to build the numismatic community, which will strengthen and grow the market.

On the other hand, coin-collecting has a gigantic amount of competition in terms of things that can occupy our time and attention. Many people today prefer to collect experiences and knowledge rather than tangible objects (antiques in particular). And, in many areas, price growth in the lower end of the market, if any, seems to come more from inflation than from increasing demand. So, while there’s a lot of momentum and effort that should predict positive market growth, there’s no guarantee of a magical rising tide that lifts all ships. Hobby growth is something every serious collector and dealer should contribute to and work toward, rather than just passively observing and hoping for the best. Grow the hobby, and the market will follow.

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Niara Collins is the Senior Editor of WorthPoint. In addition to thrifting clothes and vintage collectibles, Niara loves to do anything and everything involving words, music, and food in her free time. She has a degree in English with a concentration in rhetoric, writing, and culture.

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