When the US Mint began the state quarters program 10 years ago it seemed like the coins representing the original 13 colonies were very easy to come by (here on the east coast, anyway). As the release schedule progressed and the quarters for the more western states became available it usually seemed to take longer to obtain them (for whatever reason*). I therefore thought that the Alaska and Hawaii coins would be the hardest to come by. To my surprise, though, it turned out I got both relatively quickly. Utah and Wyoming, the last two releases of 2007, were the ones I still lacked.
I had some business to take care of at the bank yesterday so when I finished with that I remembered to ask the teller if she had a Utah or Wyoming quarter handy. She checked her little coin tray and sure enough there they were.
My Brother had given my Dad a foldout U.S. map for collecting the quarters (50 holes for the 50 coins). Ever since Dad passed away I've continued working on finishing it. You can't really see the actual details of the individual quarters (even when you click it to view the larger image), but here's the completed map:
* Examining the U.S. Mint release schedule link I gave, it appears that for the first three years or so of the program there were generally more of the coins being minted. Or maybe minting of all earlier coins continued even as new quarters were being designed and released in later years. I don't know. Either way it kind of accounts for why I perceived more difficulty obtaining the later coins. At one time I thought maybe the initial distribution of each state's quarter was concentrated in and around that state, but I seem to recall later finding out that wasn't the case.
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12 comments:
I have the same map...times three.
We also got the last quarter a few weeks ago and I sent Alaska and Hawaii over to Gina in Belgium, for part of her Christmas gift. :-)
I refuse to do the presidents. 10 years was enough collecting for this family.
Cool.
I didn't know what you were referring to with the remark about collecting the presidents, but I inferred there must be some line of coins being issued with each president's likeness featured. I then checked the U.S. Mint page and I see what you're talking about:
The Presidential $1 Coins
Release schedule (begun in 2007, four per year)
Since one dollar coins are rarely used, I assume that one would have to make a very concerted effort to seek out the coins through one's bank or order them direct from the U.S. Mint.
Like you, I don't think I'll bother (even now that I'm aware of it). Part of the fun of collecting the state quarters was the fact that quarters are used everday everywhere by everybody and it became sort of like a scavenger hunt. I'd quickly check my change at every transaction in hopes of acquiring a new one. Sometimes even if I knew I had exact change on me I'd still pay in only bills just in the hope of getting a new quarter back.
Good to see you back online. Happy new year! Denise
Hi Denise! Thank you. It's good to be back and even better to see you around here again!
I really did need the time away to try to clear my head of some things. When blogging gets to be almost a chore, that's a good sign you need a break. Now that I'm back I'm just trying to take a more casual relaxed attitude about things. That plus a couple precautionary option setting changes and a reasonable (I think) commenting guideline can't hurt when it comes to dealing with the occasional pot-stirrer. I mean, that sort of thing is all well and good in certain venues, especially when specifically encouraged, but I really don't want this blog to go down that road if I can help it.
I look forward to you once again dropping by once in a while if you're so inclined. And finally, to you and yours I offer a perhaps somewhat clichéd, but nonetheless heartfelt wish for a HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2009!
Nice blog, DS. :) It is so...quiet. And I mean it in the best sense. I'm also reminded how our blogs (or writings in general) reflect our personalities -- it's obviously a "duh!" kind of an observation, but when accustomed to much noisier, in-your-face and contentious blogs, visiting one like yours feels somewhat unusual. A breath of fresh air. Thanks for that.
See ya at SHAMblog (or here) later! :)
Thank you Elizabeth! What a pleasant surprise to have you drop by! I consider your statement truly a compliment since quiet, uncontentious, not in-your-face is a large part of my undeclared, but implicit mission statement on this here blog thingie o' mine.
And yes, I know what you mean (and agree) about how much you can sense about peoples' personalities from their writings either on their own blogs or as commenters elsewhere.
I enjoy Steve's SHAMblog, of course, for both his general subject matter and his style in conducting the goings-on there. I think he has the right mix of serious issues, thought-provoking discussions, and yet humor enough to keep it light when that becomes necessary. I have no reservations about participating there (or sometimes in more controversial venues even), but when it comes to my own blog, I just prefer to keep it simple, personal (but not too personal), and easy-going.
Now in order to build some suspense for my ever-burgeoning readership, I'll just mention that I did something today I've actually done many times before, but this time there was a historical angle. I hope to have a little detail and some pics posted by the end of the weekend if not sooner...
So whoever reads this, I hope you'll stop back and check it out. I think folks might find it of some mild interest.
Special hint to Angel: If your memory is good, you may very well be able to guess where I was...
;-)
You're most welcome, DS. My pleasure. And I'm glad you've made sense of my round-about statement (about personalities and your blog). What I was trying to say is that *your* personality comes through clearly here and very much in tune with your comments on SHAMblog. Quiet, balanced and unassuming, with self-deprecating humor and an occasional touch of whimsy. Nice.
Several of your posts (of those I have read so far) are touching, in somewhat unexpected ways perhaps. Dan's struggles with cancer, of course, and your trips to visit your family. But also the one about repairing your favorite glove, complete with pics. I hope it does not sound too smarmy, but there is something unexpected -- and charming -- about such attention to small everyday details, especially when they are imbued with emotional meaning (it was your favorite pair of gloves, after all :)).
Now, in light of that gentle charm, the pictures of your damaged car (from yet another post) seemed rather disturbing, almost forensic, in their raw mayhem (LOL). But I suppose it's all within the realm of dimension skipping, no? :)
Looking forward to more (and of course I have no clue what it is that you did today, but hope to find out soon).
Darn it! I truly have no idea...so I am going with a visit to Old Barney. Let's see if I am right.
Elizabeth: Truly a wonderful quiet place to come and discuss things. I love his blog and really missed it and him, when he was gone.
I GOT IT!!!!!!
The relighting of Old Barney!
Bingo! (I knew you'd remember if I hinted around enough. Stay tuned.)
;-)
Elizabeth, thank you again and thanks for coming back! I've consistently enjoyed your comments too over at Steve's, whether posting as yourself or "as God." LOL! (Maybe you have a little "dimension skipper" in you as well!)
Wow, you've really been digging back in the archives, but I remember those particular posts you're speaking of. There were actually a few car-repair posts and I'm sure I must have mentioned in at least one of them that Dan has been my remote "go to" guy for ideas/advice about how to attack such things (since I'm certainly no expert).
Yes, dimension skipping knows no bounds... I'm sure I mentioned it once in my earliest comments over at Steve's a few months back, but I took the name from a line in a Steely Dan song (from their last studio album in 2003).
I like the name "Dimension Skipper" because it has the potential double meaning of "one who skips (i.e. travels) through dimensions" or "one who is the Skipper (i.e. Captain) of dimensions." Perhaps the latter is a bit egotistic, but I still like the concept. Plus the name kind of neatly ties in with my lifelong love of science fiction.
Most importantly, I apologize for not "approving" your last comment a lot sooner. I hope that my delay/oversight did not cause you any concern, even a little tiny bit, in any way.
By way of explanation... I have my blog set up to email me whenever a comment is left and from there I can approve or reject. For some reason (though I think I have an idea of how/why) I never saw an email for your second comment. So I didn't even know it was waiting there until I just visited my blog's comments moderation page. And that's something that quite honestly I never do because I rely on the blogger option for email notification of comments. It was strictly a wild fluky chance that I went to my comments moderation page today—only two days after you left it—but I'm sure glad I did so!
I will try to resolve whatever underlying issues may be lurking there (and am confident I can do so) such that it doesn't happen again. At the very least I will try to make it a point to visit my comments moderation page, say, at least once a week if not more often... just in case.
Again, great to have you comin' 'round to visit my local dimensions!
It's always nice to virtually run into those we know in various venues. I know Angel, Gina, and D(enise) from posting on a few Steely Dan fan boards. I then got Angel reading Ken Levine's blog (we've both occasionally commented there) and she in turn got me hooked on the CBS TV show The Unit.
I tell you it's almost freaky sometimes how people can meet up for one particular reason and then find many other unrelated, but shared areas of interest. It's as if one shared interest somehow automatically predisposes people to having other things in common even though they would seem on the face of them to be completely dissimilar and separate. Maybe there's something after all in all that so-called junk DNA that accounts for such things!
All in all I'm quite content having a few known friendly visitors dropping in from time to time rather than a bunch of rowdy strangers! :-)
I assure you you will be—what am I saying? already are!—a welcome addition to the small, but friendly cast of occasional commenters here should you continue to find things here of some small interest...
I tell you it's almost freaky sometimes how people can meet up for one particular reason and then find many other unrelated, but shared areas of interest. It's as if one shared interest somehow automatically predisposes people to having other things in common even though they would seem on the face of them to be completely dissimilar and separate. Maybe there's something after all in all that so-called junk DNA that accounts for such things!
DS, I'm sure that too is part of the mysterious dimension skipping adventure! (Thanks to the Internet, btw, without which it would be impossible on such a scale.)
Don't you worry about the delay in posting my comment. No harm done *at all.*
Till later.
P.S. BTW, the infamous God episode on SHAMblog is a result of an unfortunate combination of the deep freeze blanketing my corner of the world and my own misfiring neurons. Sigh. A girl's gotta have fun, somehow... ;)
P.S.2. Hi! to Angel and all DS faithful bloggers, BTW. :)
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