State Quarters

When the state quarters started coming out, I decided not to save all of them. My collecting urge ebbs and flows anyway, and it was ebbing pretty strongly at that time. So I decided to save only those quarters whose designs I greatly admired. I’ll tell you what they are and what my pick is for the best design and hope you will give your picks.

I did save a few quarters for what you might call sentimental reasons: South Carolina, for example, because I was born and raised there, although I haven’t lived there in years. Ed Reiter, who writes a column for COINage, called it a “ghastly mishmash.” I suppose it is a mishmash since, along with an outline of the state, it features the state bird (Carolina wren), the state flower (Yellow Jessamine) and the state tree (palmetto), but “ghastly” may be a bit strong.

(I saved a few other “sentimental favorites” that I won’t go into.)

Reiter has a mordant sense of humor and enjoys skewering most of the state quarters as “a humdrum parade of cookie-cutter images better suited to Cracker Jack tokens than official U.S. coinage.” He describes the Illinois design as “a footless Abe Lincoln seemingly encased in a jar of formaldehyde.”

That’s not quite fair. Although the state outline is too small for the Lincoln figure, and obscures his feet, if you look closely, especially with magnification, you see that he is actually striding along with a book under his arm. The overall design, however, is ugly.

Before I get to my favorite designs, let me mention that I saved one quarter for comic relief: Wisconsin. That cow just kills me.

My picks for the best designs, in alphabetical order.

California
Connecticut
Florida
Maine
Massachusetts
Nebraska (my runner up)
Nevada
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Vermont
West Virginia

And my pick for the best design: Texas. An outline map of the state with a three-dimensional star on the right half and in the lower left of the field: “The Lone Star State.” No hokey stuff about the Texas Rangers or cattle drives or the Alamo. Just simple, tasteful elegance.

Anybody?

 

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I love the magnolias on the Mississippi quarter. It is especially beautiful in DCAM proof.

 

My Number Is Nevada Ms Or Proof.
Bruce "the Frank Group"

 

I agree with Bruce, if for no other reason than he is a member of the "Frank Group".

:thumb:

 

You know, when my home state (Oregon) design was first released...I didn't care for it. I felt that a covered wagon was required as a symbol for my home state. But, when I found my first Oregon quarter and saw the Crater Lake design on the coin itself, rather than as a drawing, I think it turned out really nice. I still think a wagon is more fitting for a design commemorating Oregon, but the lake image really does look nice.

 

Notice I had Nevada in my group of finalists.

 

Nevada should have had Hoover Dam on it

 

More importantly, what are your picks for the worst design?

 

nevada

I really like the Nevada Quarter. i think the artwork on the horses is very good.

 

Ed,
Don't be so silly, you know you can't put a saddle on a dam.

BRUCE "THE FRANK GROUP"

 

My favorite is when i get the newest one back in change. I have had the sets early every year, but for some reason it seems so fun to hold the newest one (not in a holder). I hope that continues through the presidentials, but......

 

VDB,
THERE ARE JUST TO MANY BAD DESIGNS FOR ME TO TO PICK THE WORST.
BRUCE "THE FRANK GROUP"

 

There are so many bad designs. Many of them obviously were done by comittee with no consideration that the art work would be on a COIN instead of a Napkin.

Ohio and Indiana come to mind. If I have to look twice to figure out what the picture is, then it needs more work.

Ruben

 

A DAMN on a COIN.

That is like, DRAW A STRAIGHT LINE ACROSS THE COIN and see how that ages in a few cycles through the laundrymat!

Oh MY GOD!

Ruben

 

Well, I would have to vote for NEVADA as the best design, so far. I love the look of the running horses.

The worst design, in my opinion, is FLORIDA. It looks like it took the committee about 3 seconds to approve the design. Very plain and ugly...

 

I'd have to say my favorite is Texas, I love the simplicity.

My least favorite is South Carolina. Small pictures of the state flower, tree, and bird. It tells you nothing about the state, there's no theme, and it's incredibly boring.

The people designing these should keep in mind that it'll be something the whole country will see, many of who know nothing about their state.

Texas: Proud of our individuality!
Nevada: Wild horses in the open country!
Maine: Beautiful historic lighthouses!
South Carolina: We have birds, and funny-looking trees!

 

It would be easier to say which is the worst:
1) Delaware, and the rest of 1999's issues.

 

Worst Design

I don't have all the state quarters to look at, but I think I can state with confidence that the one I dubbed comic relief also has the worst design: Wisconsin.

 

Hey, I just got the South Dakota quarter in my pocket change. It's definitely a BU specimen. The design shows a pheasant flying over Mt. Rushmore, with two ears of wheat curving around the perimeter. Not a bad design, and I hate to be hypercritical, but it is crowded.

 

I actually thought Delware was one of the better ones. At least it can be properly engraved.

Ruben