My Neighbor Got This as Change

My neighbor, who is a stamp collector, got this Washington Quarter as change and gave it to me. I couldn't find a lot of info on it other than it's 24k gold plated and possible a proof. Any input from the Coin Talk family would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

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These were sold as sets, and sold on the secondary market. They were plated in gold, silver, and platinum.

 

It is gold plated, which makes it "collectible" in the sense of magazine ads and TV infomercials, but just "damaged" for actual coin collectors. There isn't enough added gold to increase its value.

It's also definitely NOT a proof, as it has a P mint mark. All 2005 proof quarters were minted in San Francisco.

I bought a roll of gold-plated quarters a while ago for $16, figuring that was a cheap premium to put them into circulation and get people looking at their change. So far I haven't gotten to the "putting them into circulation" part, though.

 

Just gold plated and only worth a quarter now. A novelty item at best.

 

Mike Mezack climbed to the top of television numismatics plating and selling these back when the series was coming out.

 

I put a couple of those into circulation recently

 

I'll pass this on to my grandson who's starting to collect on his own. He's only 12 but you have to start them out when they're young.

 

still available to purchase too from the secondary market
$1.25 in coinage, extremely thin gold plating sold for $16.95 plus shipping.

 

Not worth anything. I found one in a Coin Star and one metal detecting, and they were both South Dakota state q's. I kept them for the novelty.

 

Tell your neighbor thanks for thinking of you. That was nice of them.

 

Years ago, while roll hunting I found a gold plated one also. I think it was WY. I think I put it back into circulation. Worth 25 cents.

 

Even though they are only worth face value, 25 cents, I imagine they
can be sold for 50 cents to a collector. (woo freaking hoo)

 

IMO they were plated for the crowd most associated with the famous unattributed quote of P.T. Barnum, 'there's a sucker born every minute'.

 

That lets me out.

 

25c - face

 

There are better prices out there. My young nephews asked me for these because one of their friends had one. I bought them each one. It's a novelty item, but if it keeps their interest in coins, I'm all for it.

 

It's no more a "sucker" item than any of the millions of other worthless things we all buy. And we've all spent stupid small money on stupid small things. If it's under $20 it's not taking away food from the table for most people. So, what harm is there for people who think it's cool to have a gold-plated quarter for their favorite state? No more harm than any other novelty item out there.

You don't have to be a sucker to spend money on useless things. Heck, the entire U.S. economy relies upon most of us doing just that!

 

When a majority of these novelty items come to market they are issued with a lot of deception within their marketing tactics. That, in and of itself, lends credence to the sucker mentality. You may disagree and that's your prerogative. I view it differently when marketing seems like a ploy to deceive.

 

I am glad that you said 'unattributed'

Barnum's biographer Arthur H. Saxon tried to track down when Barnum had uttered this phrase but was unable to verify it. According to Saxon, "There's no contemporary account of it, or even any suggestion that the word 'sucker' was used in the derogatory sense in his day. Barnum was just not the type to disparage his patrons."[1]


Photo of P. T. Barnum by Charles Eisenmann
Some sources claim that it is most likely from famous con-man Joseph ("Paper Collar Joe") Bessimer,[2] and other sources say that it was actually uttered by David Hannum in reference to Barnum's part in the Cardiff Giant hoax.[3] Hannum was exhibiting the "original" giant and had unsuccessfully sued Barnum for exhibiting a copy and claiming that it was the original. Crowds continued to pay to see Barnum's exhibit, even after both it and the original had been proven to be fakes.[citation needed] A circus competitor to Barnum, Adam Forepaugh, attributed the quote to Barnum in a newspaper interview in an attempt to discredit him.[4]

Another source credits late 1860s Chicago saloon owner Michael Cassius McDonald as the originator of the aphorism. According to the book Gem of the Prairie: Chicago Underworld (1940) by Herbert Asbury, McDonald was equipping his gambling house known as The Store when his partner expressed concern over the large number of roulette wheels and faro tables being installed and their ability to get enough players. McDonald then allegedly said, "Don't worry about that, there's a sucker born every minute."[

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There's_a_sucker_born_every_minute

 

Absolutely.....
Obviously I'm aware of the misattribution of the quote.

But thanks for posting the lesson for others who may be unaware.