Collecting quarters is fun, but don't expect a big payout
Arizona Coin Collector
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20081117/NEWS01/711179918
Herald - Everett Washington
Collecting quarters is fun, but don't expect a big payout
By Kristi O'Harran, Herald Columnist
Published: Monday, November 17, 2008
Time is up, folks.
Some of us who dawdled along for 10 years, tossing
state quarters in big jars, have to get the lead out.
Actually, it's time to get the nickel-copper-clad out.
That's what state quarters are made from.
Hawaii is on the streets. It's the 50th and last coin
in the United States Mint's 50 State Quarters Program.
To prepare, I spent eight hours sorting out my
haphazard collection.
My Uncle Neal in Virginia will be pleased to get a
load of quarters from the Denver mint. Ten years
ago, we agreed to swap coins. He sends me quarters
with the Philadelphia mint stamp.
In scaling down my workload, I decided to only
complete three books of the state coins, just like
Judi Carr of Everett did. We made one to keep and
two for granddaughters.
She kept her collection in order all the way along.
"I have three books of them, mine, and the ones
for my two granddaughters," Carr said. "All I
need now is my three Hawaiian ones."
She mentioned she has a new presidential
"gold" dollar.
I don't care about new coins. I'm done digging
through my change.
What a pain.
Snohomish County Council Public Information
Officer Fred Bird kept the quarters on his
bureau, until he said he stumbled across the
semi- official blue coin books in a store.
"The effort went well for several years until
my housekeeper tidied up and stashed the book
in some obscure place," Bird said. "That's
happened to my bills, too. I've since
rediscovered the coin book but have been lax
about keeping it up."
He said he found most of the state designs
cluttered and ugly.
"At least two appear to be continuing an
old rivalry, namely North Carolina and Ohio,
both claiming to be first in flight," Bird
said. "The most artistically pleasing design
is Connecticut's Charter Oak Tree, but that
doesn't surprise me since I'm a 12th
generation Nutmegger."
Bird awarded a double-entendre award to
Nevada's prancing mustangs that rarely fail
to draw a laugh from middle-aged men
dredging up "fantasies" of the Mustang Ranch,
he said.
Taking a different approach, Martin Spani of
Lynnwood got booklets where you put in two
quarters per state, showing the front of the
coin and back of the coin.
"I've got them sitting in a bookcase, for the
grandkids," Spani said. "As I get my change,
I look for new quarters."
He has kept up his books all along.
"It's been kind of interesting, really,"
he said.
Bob Cook of Mill Creek bought five of each
state in a "proof set."
"My grandchildren will get them," Cook said.
"Proof sets are made with special dies."
In addition to "P" and "D" mint quarters made
for circulation, proof coins are produced
with "S" mint marks.
Forget about those.
The good thing about the state quarter program
is that I took $130 to the bank when I sorted
out all the coins I didn't need to keep.
I'll let Rich Coonradt, owner of Odyssey Coins
and Collectibles in Everett, confirm some bad news.
It will be generations hence when state quarters
found in our pockets are worth more than 25 cents.
"The circulated coins are basically worth face
value," Coonradt said. "In my opinion, our
grandchildren's grandchildren might have something."
Columnist Kristi O'Harran: 425-339-3451
or oha...@heraldnet.com.
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