Only In America

Blame it on Lisa who simply asked, "What is a State quarter?" in her comment to my last post. I told her she's been out of the country way too long, because we are midway through the 8th of 10 years collecting them!

Direct from the horse's mouth: "From 1999 to 2008, the United States Mint will issue a new state quarter approximately every 10 weeks. Each quarter's reverse will celebrate one of the 50 states with a design honoring its unique history, traditions, and symbols." So far this 2006 year, Nebraska is the only quarter we've seen!

And guess what! We're collecting them for Nicholas (we assume) in several different ways:

1) The quarter spoons from the U.S. Mint's 50 State Quarters® Collectibles come out shortly after the quarters are in circulation . When we started the collection 8 years ago, the rack came with it for a reasonal price. We don't usually collect spoons (like some people do wherever they travel) but this collection makes up for that.

2) From the U.S. Postal Commemorative Society is this 2-album collection of 9 x 10 hard-stock pages that contain the Denver and Philadelphia mint quarters for each state, with information on the front and back about the state, and with 2 or 3 U.S postage stamps specific to the state on the back. One state per page. I just noticed that eBay had an auction for the first volume (just completed with only the first 25 states of the union--not keeping up with the actual mint dates) for $375! It's a very handsome set and obviously worth the investment.

3) The H.E. Harris & Co State Series Quarters Collector's Album comes with even harder stock cardboard, doing something similar as above but is more kid-oriented, holding 4 states per page (7.5 x 9.5), two per side. Again, each state holds the Denver and Philadelphia mint quarters.

4) A smaller Whitman Classic Statehood Quarters' 2-album collection is essentially a coin holder, one album for each of the Denver and Philadelphia mints. It's pages are 6 x 8.5, holding 10 states each with see-through panes for the front and back.

5) If you do the math for the #3 and #4 collections, we have to collect 4 quarters of each state, 2 from each mint (Denver and Philadelphia). If we don't get the right quarters from change we both receive over the year, we order them off of eBay at the end of the year. If we end up with duplicates, they get thrown into this glass jar.

Back in 1999, when all this started and we went crazy, it seemed like 10 years would be forever! But look at where we are now--2-1/2 years left to go (5 new quarters per year). Before we know it, we'll actually get to Alaska and Hawaii by the end of 2008, since they come out in order of when each state joined the union.

Perseverance has really paid off. And Lisa, aren't you glad you asked!