State Quarters Discussion

[Naraht]

Yeah, it's an American-Centric thread, but =p

Anyway, this is a thread to talk about the State Quarters, and see who collects them, who notices them, or which states you're looking forward to, and which states have crummy quarters..

Talk about the money, it's good business...the poll is just to see unscientifically see what ppl are doing with the state quarters, cause I'm curious, but don't let the poll dictate the flow of conversation...it's a supliment in my mind, not the reason behind the thread...make sense?

[ButteredToast]

I'm glad the Tennessee one finally came out (since I live there,) but I wish they could have done a better job on it. But it's not surprising considering the "Musical Heritage" of the state.

I think Kentucky and Connecticut got very nice designs.

[ccffan01]

I collect them i thought they were very cool but, i kind of stopped puttging them into the quarter map :( . Gotta Remeber

[Fantasie117]

I do collect them. I bought one of those maps in a store called "As Seen on TV" in a nearby mall. It sits in a corner of room, collecting dust until I get a new one. It is really hard to get the quarter into the slot sometimes. I think I've damaged a few by using the handle of a screwdriver and pounding on them.

I'm not a fan of the New Jersey design, but Rhode Island's is nice. I want to see states like Utah, Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, etc. because I can't think of anything to represent them.

Now for a story: A few weeks before the New York quarter came out, I saw a story on the news that they had five choices for the design. People would vote on them and the winner is the design. One of the choices, the one I liked, was the Statue of Liberty with the NYC skyline in the background. Think about that.

[Calhoun07]

when I started out I tried to get 4 each from both Deleware and Philadelphia mints, but have recenly given up as in my area, it seems like I can never find both mints anymore. Now I just order my coin sets from www.usmint.gov and collect them that way. I pick up two mint sets and two proof sets every year, and have them all since the first year so far.

[Terminatah]

Originally posted by Fantasie117
Now for a story: A few weeks before the New York quarter came out, I saw a story on the news that they had five choices for the design. People would vote on them and the winner is the design. One of the choices, the one I liked, was the Statue of Liberty with the NYC skyline in the background. Think about that. I think the ones with images that represent the state are better than the ones that also stick a shape of the state in the background. Yah, that's the state, but it doesn't really say anything about it. The skyline would've been much better (9/11 regardless).

Anyone ever see Conan O'Brien's state quarter designs? Some great ideas there. "Florida: Where Old People Come To Die."

-Terminatah

[Squall]

Yes, I collect the State Quarters. I love maps/flags/geography in general, so I thought they were a cool idea from day one. :)

I order the Proof Set every year, and find one of each State in my change as it comes to fill out one of those 50 State maps.

I look forward to the following State designs: Texas, Florida, California, Illinois, Alaska, Hawaii, Michigan, and Ohio, because I think those States (I'd add New York, North Carolina, and Georgia to that list, but those States have already come out) have a lot of personality and individually to them.

What I'm worried about are the State Quarters like Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. What is there that makes any one of these States unique and inidividual compared to the others? (I have faith that they'll find something.)

I think that the 50 State Quarters started out with lousy designs. Delaware and Pennsylvania are boring (WHY didn't Pennsylvania put the Liberty Bell on their Quarter?!?), and New Jersey had a good idea, but there was too much on that Quarter -- it was too "busy" -- to easily tell that it was the famous painting of George Washington and his troops crossing the Delaware River. Georgia was bad too. I still can't tell that it's supposed to be a peach on that Quarter! It could be an apple, and apricot, a pear, etc.

I think that Connecticut, Virginia, Rhode Island, North Carolina, New York, Kentucky, and Tennessee have very nice Quarter designs. As time has gone by, new States designing their Quarters have learned from the mistakes past States made, and thus their Quarters were better.

Did you know? The Bill Congress passed and President Clinton signed in 1996 for the 50 State Quarters has two provisions in it: (1) If another State is added to the union before 2009, then it will get a State Quarter too. (This coud be Puerto Rico, depending on how the vote goes in 2005 when they once again choose between Commonwealth, State, or Independence.) And (2) if Congress decides, they could add the Quarters of D.C. and the four major Commonwealthes/Territories of the U.S. (Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) for a total of 51 Quarters! (It wouldn't be the STATE Quarters then anymore, would it?) If they decide to, that is.

[Squall]

I meant, for a grand total of 55 State Quarters! And yes, I CAN add! :p I just can't type!

[G. Wen]

I'm waiting for Iowa. That one didn't come out already, did it?

[Calhoun07]

Originally posted by Desdiablo
I'm waiting for Iowa. That one didn't come out already, did it?

Not yet. I am unsure of what order they were added to the union, but the state quaters are coming out in the order the states became states.

And I agree the Pennsylvania quater was a lousy design.

[Failure]

Originally posted by Squall
(WHY didn't Pennsylvania put the Liberty Bell on their Quarter?!?)

Probably b/c everyone in Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia, hates Philadelphia. Really. :rolleyes:

[Terminatah]

The Myth: The Liberty Bell, which rang at the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, has always been a precious sumbol of our nation's heritage.

The Truth: The bell, installed in the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia in 1753, was almost bartered off as scrap metal in 1828 when the building was being refurbished. According to one account, "The Philadelphia city fathers...contracted John Wilbank, a bell maker from Germantown, Pennsylvania, to cast a replacement for the Liberty Bell. He agreed to knock $400 off his bill in exchange for the 2,000-pound relic. When Wilbank went to collect it, however, he decided it wasn't worth the trouble. 'Drayage costs more than the bell's worth,' he said." The city of Philadelphia actually sude to force him to take it. But Wilbank just gave it back to them as a gift, "unaware that he'd just bartered away what would become the most venerated symbol of American independence."

-Terminatah

[Elven Moon]

I don't really care too much about them, but my parents are collecting them "on my behalf" so to speak, since they will be given to me later. A coin is a coin to me, or maybe I'm just being a scrooge :p

Has Michigan come out yet?

[Mr. Unspeakable]

Remember, the quarters for the first three states are rarer because the mint underestimated the amount of collectors and so, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey quarter will probably be worth more down the line. What I don't get are the painted coins. They look horrible, and are now worthless for collectors.

[Pilmedium]

I keep one of each that comes out. I am always interested in the designs, whether they are good or not.

[Squall]

For the poster asking about Iowa, here's the order all 50 States will come out in:

1999
1.Delaware December 07, 1787
2.Pennsylvania December 12, 1787
3.New Jersey December 18, 1787
4.Georgia January 02, 1788
5.Connecticut January 09, 1788

2000
6.Massachusetts February 06, 1788
7.Maryland April 28, 1788
8.South Carolina May 23, 1788
9.New Hampshire June 21, 1788
10.Virginia June 25, 1788

2001
11.New York July 26, 1788
12.North Carolina November 21, 1789
13.Rhode Island May 29, 1790
14.Vermont March 04, 1791
15.Kentucky June 01, 1792

2002
16.Tennessee June 01, 1796
17.Ohio March 01, 1803
18.Louisiana April 30, 1812
19.Indiana December 11, 1816
20.Mississippi December 10, 1817

2003
21.Illinois December 03, 1818
22.Alabama December 14, 1819
23.Maine March 15, 1820
24.Missouri August 10, 1821
25.Arkansas June 15, 1836

2004
26.Michigan January 26, 1837
27.Florida March 03, 1845
28.Texas December 29, 1845
29.Iowa December 28, 1846
30.Wisconsin May 29, 1848

2005
31.California September 09, 1850
32.Minnesota May 11, 1858
33.Oregon February 14, 1859
34.Kansas January 29, 1861
35.West Virginia June 20, 1863

2006
36.Nevada October 31, 1864
37.Nebraska March 01, 1867
38.Colorado August 01, 1876
39.North Dakota November 02, 1889
40.South Dakota November 02, 1889

2007
41.Montana November 08, 1889
42.Washington November 11, 1889
43.Idaho July 03, 1890
44.Wyoming July 10, 1890
45.Utah January 04, 1896

2008
46.Oklahoma November 16, 1907
47.New Mexico January 06, 1912
48.Arizona February 14, 1912
49.Alaska January 03, 1959
50.Hawaii August 21, 1959

So you should start seeing Iowa State Quarters around Fall 2004. :)