Is this true about the Wisconsin quarter?

Coin collectors flip, rumors fly after quarters sprout extra leaf
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WASHINGTON — News that some of the Wisconsin state quarters are flawed
and worth big bucks is generating renewed interest in the 50-state
quarters a little more than halfway through the program's 10-year
lifespan.
"The phones have been ringing off the hook," says Jack Chapman, owner of
usstatequarters.com in Springbrook, Wis. Sales have doubled in the past
few days on both the Web and on the phone.
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Not everyone is looking to strike it rich by purchasing Wisconsin state
quarters, some of which appear to have an extra leaf on a corncob on the
"tails" side. That error is leading collectors to pay hundreds of
dollars for the coins. Others, showing a broader interest in the state
quarters, are buying subscriptions for the remainder of the 50-state
quarter program. Subscriptions include uncirculated coins from both the
Denver and Philadelphia mints, Chapman says.
"This has just been like a bolt of lightning," says Beth Deisher, editor
of Coin World, a weekly publication for collectors. She notes the state
quarter program was already expected to get a bit of a boost this year
as the California quarter is currently being released, appealing to
collectors in a populous state.
The U.S. Mint launched the state quarter program in 1999, issuing five
new quarters per year. The quarters, issued in the order the states were
admitted to the union, have been popular with longtime collectors and
have brought new people to the hobby. The Mint estimates millions of
people are collecting the quarters, some on specially designed maps or
in books.
Although the program has maintained its popularity, the buzz over the
state quarters has waned a bit in recent years. The Mint in both 2004
and 2003 produced more than 2 billion of the state quarters, less than
half the amount created in 2000, when production peaked at 6.5 billion.
"The program had a great start and has continued very strong, but as
with any program that lasts for 10 years, it's always good to have
something happen that piques people's interest," says Chris Cipoletti,
executive director of the American Numismatic Association in Colorado
Springs.
"Piques" may be an understatement. More than 40 listings related to the
error went up on eBay Wednesday. That was more than the total listed in
the prior five days. At least six sets of flawed quarters sold for
$1,000 or more. And some sellers were hawking unopened bags and rolls of
Wisconsin quarters for far more than face value.
The quarters depict some aspect of a state's history, economy or culture
The Wisconsin quarter, released late last year, shows a cow, a wheel of
cheese and an ear of corn.
In December, a few months after the coins began circulating, a collector
in Tucson found that some Wisconsin quarters made at the Denver Mint
featured an extra leaf on the left side of the corn cob. In some cases,
the leaf was turned up, in others it was turned down. Collectors
estimate about 1,000 of the flawed coins have surfaced in Arizona and
Texas.
Some collectors and longtime coin dealers have questioned whether the
quarters were created intentionally, leading to even more buzz about the
Wisconsin coins. The Mint says it is investigating.

On Fri, 28 Jul 2006 16:00:14 -0400, (B H) wrote:

Coin collectors flip, rumors fly after quarters sprout extra leaf
Â*
WASHINGTON — News that some of the Wisconsin state quarters are flawed

Is there any more news 18 months old worth reading
about? :-)

Joe Fischer