From the article: I was going to say, "hey, finally, an article that doesn't blame the Mint for things out of their control" And then what's the very first comment in this thread? Argghhh!! I wish CT members would listen to this guy! (No offense, and nothing personal . . . it was too good of a comeback not to write!) But, seriously: if we're going to make accusations and assign blame (which is something I'd prefer not to do at all), at least let's blame the right people! As for the article -- I think we're pretty unanimous that we suffer from Quarter-design-change-fatigue, no? (OTOH, a coin with Niagara Falls on the back would be cool . . . but, wait, that's not a National Park. No go . . . )
Remember, the coin hobby was about killed when silver went away, and all of the pre 64 coins went out of circulation. And again when silver fell in the early 80's. The state quarters are really the only way that young collectors can have anything interesting from circulation. I have only found 1 modern buff nickel in change, and it was in a tip tray, had to trade a quarter for it. The 2009 cents haven't been circulating. The boat nickels left circulation quick, Dollars are still rare. Out here, the p mint coins are about mythical. We hear of them , but they aren't found. I envy the collectors of the 50's who could pull about 150 years of silver out of their change. When I started I could only collect about 10 years worth of dimes, quarters, halves and dollars from circ. and some of those were rare part silver. Most of the wheaties were hard to find also. Boy! we were excited when the 76's came out! Yes, it is darned near impossible to keep up if we depend on the mint to ship us the newest and most complete sets. they are expensive and have terrible customer service. But for the beginner, where we all (most of us) started - the new circulating releases are a lot of fun.
True. With the Mint popping the coins out I guess we always blame them. But it is Congress' fault for voting the bills in but where do the bills come from...
I think it was sort of disjointed. He's right about "coin fatigue". But then IMO he goes off the rails. What is the problem he's trying to fix, exactly? If the National Site series of quarters doesn't engender the same enthusiasm in the general public that the state quarters program did, it will fix itself.
I agree. Most kids cannot afford to order from the mint, go to coin dealers, etc. They have to depend on what is in change at the end of the day. Those new circulating designs are exciting for them, because they actually can attain the goal of completing a set. Some of the kids in my family never cared about coins until the quarters started; then they also had fun looking for the nickels. I enjoy the coin design changes for that very reason. It's so fun to hear them get all excited when they find a coin they need.
"It was once common to portray Liberty, personified in female form, on our coins. Imagine the return of this figure, grown wiser and reflective after her absence, evoking confidence that our nation will endure any hardship and meet any challenge. Then, maybe our coins will once again become respected national symbols." I couldn't agree more.
