State Quarters

Here's something to consider.

There are many collectors who dislike the Statehood Quarters and the Presidential dollars, however...

I can remember when I was in high school, back about 1960, and at that point I was really getting "into" United States coin collecting.

But, guess what? There was nothing for a kid like me to collect, other than the standard circulation issues.

I remember that I really enjoyed half dollars, but when I looked in my first Red Book, I saw there had been no commemoratives issued since the Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver days back in the early 1950's. And none would be issued until the 1980's.

So, I went through a long time period where I wished on a regular basis for something NEW to collect, something I, as a kid, could AFFORD.

When I hear collectors complaining about Statehood Quarters and the Presidential dollars, I just think back to my early collecting days, and think, Thank Goodness!

I think the Quarter series is a good idea, because it will teach us a bit of geography, and what the state symbals are, and/or represent. I collect them from the standpoint that I want a good, clean roll of each state, and maybe each mint, (P, and D).
The "new" nickel is a freak! I wouldn't save them under any circumstances, just like the Pres dollars. AKA "game tokens".
What's next? Maybe "first sons, first daughters, first ex, first Mother-in-law, etc, etc. The Mint has gone "ape"!
The only thing about the coins, vs "Baseball cards, stampe, comic books, etc, is you can always buy a meal of some sort with it, when everything else has gone to pot, and no one has the money to buy "S**t"! Like after the depression, Nothing cost much, because no one hae any money, and everything that one had, was like the stocks, "not worth a plugged nickel".
For my future, it is coins, or gold, and it don't make any difference if I have to pan it, drywash it, or sluice it, as long as it is gold!
Dick

The results as far as education and converting of new collectors is mixed I'm sure. My daughter has finally gotten into collecting coins. She was never interested in pennies when I tried to get her interest a few years ago. But now she is doing the State Quarters, has shown some interest in pennies, and helps me with my world collection. I use the State Quarters and the world coins to help teach history, geography, etc.

I have seen numerous new faces in my local coin shop due to the Statehood Quarter program and they are buying more than State Quarters now. Like it or not it has been good for numismatics in general and has helped introduce lots of new collectors to REAL collectables other than the Mint gimmicks. I don't think the Presidential dollars will do that.

I never had much of a chance to collect coins, as a kid, because the little money I did earn, was from stacking hay, picking "cukes", or until I went to work in the mines, there was very little money, and it went for food. Then when I did go to work in the mines, I got a whole dollar an hour! Then came the war, (WWII). Then I was making a lot of money! $21.00 a month.After the war ended, I got out, and went to work for the AT&SF Ry On one ocassion, I was a fireman in helper service. We worked for two hours, and brought the passanger train up the hill, and then returned to the roundhouse. That netted "100 miles", or one days work. The money came out to $20.00, or $10.00/hour!. Slack season comes, and many of us are "layed off". Back to the mines, and $9.00/day Collect coins? We were lucky to collect wages. Back in the Navy. Years went by and I got married. One can't raise a family, and collect coins, so time went by, and I retired, and went to MEXICO. Between the exchange rate, and my pension, I was able to "hang on" to some older coins that were given me. Helping count the donations for the church netted me a few more. The Priest was also my tutor. time went by, and I accumulated a nice type/date collection. Then the return to the US resulted in my having to sell the collection to feed the kids. Finally, the kids all grew up, and left the nest. Then a few cents began to "multiply" Back to work, again. No Room for coin collecting, other than the wages earned. Years went by, and I became eligible for SS, and "got a pay raise"! THe problem then was the kids were all in CA, and we were in AZ. I had the VA, to fall back on, but the wife had nothing, as we lived too far from a military base to have any benefits, there. Came the inheritance after Mom departed. We came to CA, too. We bought a small double wide, and a '99 Mercury. Now I can "collect coins! So now you know why it took me so long to "get started"! I got back to collecting on 2005, and bought all the wheat "culls" on ebay. Then I decided there was no future there, and eventually found my way into Coppercoins.com. There I began to learn about varieties, and found my reason to live! It is fascinating, looking for all the different varieties that exist, in just the cent alone. Thanks to GArylcsr, I was guided to CC, where I have found a wider horizon to gaze upon. I have been blessed!
Dick

Sad part about the State Quarter series are the people getting ripped off by paying high premiums for rolls and uncs. Maybe 200 years from now they will be worth 26 cents each if the currency doesn't collapse altogether first. As far as the Presidential dollars...I doubt it will even make it through full cycle. The quarter is commonly used but the dollar coin, not really all that useful. Most cash registers don't even have a coin slot for dollar coins. But hey, this is the US, home of wasteful spending.

I'm just waiting for the 'Pokemon' coins. Some adventurous mint person will eventually create a game using various rarity of coins and you 'gotta collect them all!'

If the Mint can find another way to make an extra buck, they will.
I'll start the latest rumor: the Top 100 US cities Dime Program.
Here's a link to see if your city qualifies.
http://www.city-data.com/top1.html

FYI: The "US Mayors On Nickels" Program can't be too far behind.