The Charlton Press produces price guides and other books on collectibles, including coins, banknotes, medals, sports cards, clocks, dolls, and porcelain figures. Buyers and sellers are referring to the market prices as Charlton prices. Charlton Press is the reference for collectors.
In 1952, James Charlton, with the assistance of Fred Bowman and other numismatist, released the company’s first title, the Catalogue of Canadian Coins, Tokens & Fractional Currency. A modest publication at 34 pages, the catalogue filled a void for Canadian coin collectors and featured then current values and listings of Canadian coins.
In 1960, for the first time, Jim Charlton also included government paper money issues of Canada and Newfoundland in its catalogue listings. This resulted in renaming the catalogue from the Catalogue of Canadian Coins, Tokens & Fractional Currency to the Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins, Token & Paper Money.
Taking three years to compile information, The Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Paper Money, 1st edition published in 1980 and The Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Government Paper Money, 1st edition was published in 1984. The former publication was published with an impressive 820 pages due to the fact that The Charlton Press incorporated banknotes from over 152 Chartered Banks in Canada as well as a section on Merchant Scrip.
In 1988, The Charlton Press also published a standalone catalogue of Canadian Colonial Tokens (prior to 1867). The standalone catalogue with 218 pages was researched extensively after the decision was made to remove the token and paper money content from the catalogue in 1976.
The 63rd edition of the Charlton Standard Catalogue on Canadian Coins (2009) was the final edition of the coin catalogue that contained all coins under one cover. Beginning with the 64th edition, The Charlton Press separated the catalogue into two volumes.
The Charlton Press introduced a number of other catalogues on such hobbyist pursuits as medals, sports cards, clocks, dolls, and porcelain figures.
Nowadays, collectors are always expecting the latest editions of the coins and paper money guides to document their hobby and keep up with the market values.