Collecting Quarters

In 1999 the state quarters were launched.  Bob, Ben and Phillip bought me a coin holder for all 50 quarters. Ten years seemed a long time to be looking and collecting quarters but I slowly began. Not only did I collect quarters for myself, I thought it would be nice to collect a set for Ben and Phillip. So the quarter hunt began. Every time we received quarters in change we looked at them to see if it was one we needed or one that could be spent elsewhere.

Once Phillip started college and we made 13 trips back and forth to get him to college we started collecting quarters for another reason, the tolls to and from college. At the time, the tolls were in dollar and/or fifty cent increments, so it was natural to use quarters for the small amounts we paid at each toll booth. Years ago I learned that a 35mm film canister holds exactly $7.00 in quarters, so we kept our quarters for the trip in a film canister. We would check each quarter to see if it was for the state quarter collection or the toll booth collection. Toll prices increased little by little and we added a second film canister for quarters. And so the years went by.

After college graduation, we continued to collect for the state quarters and for tolls back to New York but we added another quarter collection.  Once we purchased our new car, we now take it to a self-wash car wash instead of the drive through to keep it from getting scratches, waxing film build up on the windshield and the door locks from freezing. All problems we faced with our old car from going through the drive through car wash. Believe me it is not fun to have to get in the back seat of a Daewoo in Sunday clothes with your long winter coat on, climb over the seat (with headrests) to get to the driver seat and start the car. Then you would either have to stay in the car, or climb back out and back in again to let the car warm up so hopefully you wouldn’t have to repeat the process in the church parking lot. Not a real graceful way to arrive at church.

Naturally with Hawaii being the last state, we were seeing the end of the hunt when excitedly we found the last Hawaiian quarter. We were at our usual car wash where Bob had put $5 in to get change and replenish our change supply when he happily announced he had a Hawaiian quarter.

Excitedly I went home and put my last quarter in, and was thrilled I had completed not only my collection but the boys’ collections as well. Or so I thought.  When looking at the boys’ collection, I discovered that I was short one Oklahoma quarter and had recently discarded one I had thinking I was all set. So the hunt began again.

Finally after not just ten years but fourteen years I have completed all three state quarter collections.  I’m not sure what will happen to mine since the boys will each have their own set, but it was a fun hobby.

The funny thing is I still find myself looking at quarters when I receive change. I understand they are doing quarters for some of the national parks. Another collection maybe.....no, I think I will try a new hobby.