Houston Chronicle promotes Texas state quarter

Two articles in the Chron today about the unveiling of the Texas state
quarter. One details Gov. Rick Perry's ceremony, while the other explains
why the Texas quarter is not bigger than all the other quarters:


Texas quarter is lone star of launch party
By JANET ELLIOTT
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory...olitan/2621401

AUSTIN -- It won't buy much more than a gumball, but the new Texas quarter
purchased 1,000 smiles Thursday from children who received a free sample at
a party celebrating the coin's launch.

"They're shiny!" exclaimed 8-year-old David Harper after Gov. Rick Perry
handed him his quarter.

David, along with his 13-year-old brother Scott and mom Gina, came to the
Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum for the event, which featured
speeches, free barbecue and snow cones, music and Peter the Mint Eagle, the
mascot of the U.S. Mint.

Austin Mayor Will Wynn kicked off the ceremony by praising the design of the
quarter, a prominent star over the outline of Texas.

"Thank God we're not one of those little square states," said Wynn.

Arlington artist Daniel Miller's design was selected from more than 2,500
submitted to the Texas Quarter Dollar Coin Design Advisory Committee.

"The Lone Star is one of the most identifiable symbols of Texas, and an
historic representation of the independent spirit of our people," Perry
said.

He noted that the image of the Lone Star can be found as far back as 1819
during the days of the Long Expedition. It also appeared on several flags of
the early Republic of Texas.

"I have long considered the Lone Star of Texas a guiding light that leads
people to a special land of opportunity," Perry said.

The quarter features the words "The Lone Star State" and "1845," the year
Texas became a state.

It is the 28th commemorative quarter issued in the 50 State Quarters
Program. Henrietta Holsman Fore, director of the U.S. Mint, told the crowd
that it is the most popular coin program in U.S. history with 130 million
Americans -- nearly one in every household -- collecting.

"The eyes of Texas and the nation are on your quarters because the whole
country gets Texas quarters," said Holsman Fore.

She said that 480 million Texas quarters will be minted during 10 weeks. The
decision on how many of each state quarter to mint depends on the demand of
trade and commerce, said Holsman Fore.

"When the economy is very strong, we make more quarters," said Holsman Fore.
"2003 was a little slower for us. Our orders are starting to pick up along
with the economy."

Five coins are unveiled every year in the order that the states joined the
union. Other states being celebrated with quarters this year are Michigan,
Florida, Iowa and Wisconsin.

Addie Satornino, 10, of Freemont, Ohio, compared her new Texas quarter to
the Ohio quarter she collected last year.

"I thought it would have the Alamo on it," she said.

Perry said that many of the designs did include the Alamo. But he said that
the design selected includes the entire state.

"Whether you're from Muleshoe or you're from Missouri City, the border or
Brownsville," he said, "this coin represents your part of Texas."

-----------

Mint's newest coin makes sense
By THOM MARSHALL
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory...olitan/2621391

The new Texas quarters are the same size as the quarters made for other
states.

"I suppose," reasoned a U.S. Mint spokeswoman in Washington, D.C., "when
people go to use them in parking meters and vending machines, we'd get a lot
of complaints if they were bigger."

Even more humbling, said the spokeswoman, Sharon McPike, the Mint doesn't
even plan to make more Texas quarters than were made for some of the other
states.

"We are projecting approximately 480 million production of Texas quarters,"
she said. "For Florida, we made a total of 481.8 million."

The reason, McPike explained, is that even a special state quarter is a
"circulating coin." That means the Mint makes a supply to meet a demand --
"whatever the Federal Reserve orders from us for circulation," she said. "I
think our highest production was Virginia and we made 1,594,616,000."

That was in 2000; Virginia was the 10th state to be honored in the series
that produces five state coins each year, in the order in which the states
were admitted to the union. The program runs through 2008.

"Each state quarter (including Texas) is made for 10 weeks, and we only
produce one state quarter at a time," McPike said.

Luke Richards, vice president and cash officer of the Houston branch of the
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, said he doubled the normal order for
quarters in anticipation of increased demand for the Texas model.

"We get two shipments and will wind up with about $8 million in the new
quarters," he said.

Richards said state quarter collectors may order coin sets from the Mint's
Web site at www.usmint.gov.

Collectors get two quarters for each state, one struck in the Philadelphia
Mint and the other in the Denver Mint.

Mint officials like it when collectors remove coins from circulation and
sock them away.

"The cost to make a quarter is 6 cents," McPike said, "and then we `sell it'
to the Federal Reserve for 25 cents."

Bingo -- 19 cents profit.

"That difference is called `seniorage,' " McPike said. "That's what
contributes to the profits of the United States Mint. We fund ourselves ...
and then whatever is left over is returned to the general fund, which goes
to reduce the national debt. It's earmarked for that."

The state-quarter program "has fostered millions of collectors," said Jim
Lucas, spokesman for the American Numismatic Association based in Colorado
Springs, Colo.

"There are lots of people out there that are collecting all of the quarters
through the state quarter program that were not collectors before," Lucas
said. "It's providing an opportunity for people to catch the bug, and a lot
will. ANA membership is up about 10 percent within the past five years.
We're right around 32,000."

"Edwin Johnston" wrote in message
...
Two articles in the Chron today about the unveiling of the Texas state
quarter. One details Gov. Rick Perry's ceremony, while the other explains
why the Texas quarter is not bigger than all the other quarters:


Texas quarter is lone star of launch party
By JANET ELLIOTT
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory...olitan/2621401

AUSTIN -- It won't buy much more than a gumball, but the new Texas quarter
purchased 1,000 smiles Thursday from children who received a free sample
at
a party celebrating the coin's launch.

"They're shiny!" exclaimed 8-year-old David Harper after Gov. Rick Perry
handed him his quarter.

David, along with his 13-year-old brother Scott and mom Gina, came to the
Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum for the event, which featured
speeches, free barbecue and snow cones, music and Peter the Mint Eagle,
the
mascot of the U.S. Mint.

Austin Mayor Will Wynn kicked off the ceremony by praising the design of
the
quarter, a prominent star over the outline of Texas.

"Thank God we're not one of those little square states," said Wynn.

Arlington artist Daniel Miller's design was selected from more than 2,500
submitted to the Texas Quarter Dollar Coin Design Advisory Committee.

"The Lone Star is one of the most identifiable symbols of Texas, and an
historic representation of the independent spirit of our people," Perry
said.

He noted that the image of the Lone Star can be found as far back as 1819
during the days of the Long Expedition. It also appeared on several flags
of
the early Republic of Texas.

"I have long considered the Lone Star of Texas a guiding light that leads
people to a special land of opportunity," Perry said.

The quarter features the words "The Lone Star State" and "1845," the year
Texas became a state.

It is the 28th commemorative quarter issued in the 50 State Quarters
Program. Henrietta Holsman Fore, director of the U.S. Mint, told the crowd
that it is the most popular coin program in U.S. history with 130 million
Americans -- nearly one in every household -- collecting.

"The eyes of Texas and the nation are on your quarters because the whole
country gets Texas quarters," said Holsman Fore.

She said that 480 million Texas quarters will be minted during 10 weeks.
The
decision on how many of each state quarter to mint depends on the demand
of
trade and commerce, said Holsman Fore.

"When the economy is very strong, we make more quarters," said Holsman
Fore.
"2003 was a little slower for us. Our orders are starting to pick up along
with the economy."

Five coins are unveiled every year in the order that the states joined the
union. Other states being celebrated with quarters this year are Michigan,
Florida, Iowa and Wisconsin.

Addie Satornino, 10, of Freemont, Ohio, compared her new Texas quarter to
the Ohio quarter she collected last year.

"I thought it would have the Alamo on it," she said.

Perry said that many of the designs did include the Alamo. But he said
that
the design selected includes the entire state.

"Whether you're from Muleshoe or you're from Missouri City, the border or
Brownsville," he said, "this coin represents your part of Texas."

-----------

Mint's newest coin makes sense
By THOM MARSHALL
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory...olitan/2621391

The new Texas quarters are the same size as the quarters made for other
states.

"I suppose," reasoned a U.S. Mint spokeswoman in Washington, D.C., "when
people go to use them in parking meters and vending machines, we'd get a
lot
of complaints if they were bigger."

Even more humbling, said the spokeswoman, Sharon McPike, the Mint doesn't
even plan to make more Texas quarters than were made for some of the other
states.

"We are projecting approximately 480 million production of Texas
quarters,"
she said. "For Florida, we made a total of 481.8 million."

The reason, McPike explained, is that even a special state quarter is a
"circulating coin." That means the Mint makes a supply to meet a demand --
"whatever the Federal Reserve orders from us for circulation," she said.
"I
think our highest production was Virginia and we made 1,594,616,000."

That was in 2000; Virginia was the 10th state to be honored in the series
that produces five state coins each year, in the order in which the states
were admitted to the union. The program runs through 2008.

"Each state quarter (including Texas) is made for 10 weeks, and we only
produce one state quarter at a time," McPike said.

Luke Richards, vice president and cash officer of the Houston branch of
the
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, said he doubled the normal order for
quarters in anticipation of increased demand for the Texas model.

"We get two shipments and will wind up with about $8 million in the new
quarters," he said.

Richards said state quarter collectors may order coin sets from the Mint's
Web site at www.usmint.gov.

Collectors get two quarters for each state, one struck in the Philadelphia
Mint and the other in the Denver Mint.

Mint officials like it when collectors remove coins from circulation and
sock them away.

"The cost to make a quarter is 6 cents," McPike said, "and then we `sell
it'
to the Federal Reserve for 25 cents."

Bingo -- 19 cents profit.

"That difference is called `seniorage,' " McPike said. "That's what
contributes to the profits of the United States Mint. We fund ourselves
....
and then whatever is left over is returned to the general fund, which goes
to reduce the national debt. It's earmarked for that."

The state-quarter program "has fostered millions of collectors," said Jim
Lucas, spokesman for the American Numismatic Association based in Colorado
Springs, Colo.

"There are lots of people out there that are collecting all of the
quarters
through the state quarter program that were not collectors before," Lucas
said. "It's providing an opportunity for people to catch the bug, and a
lot
will. ANA membership is up about 10 percent within the past five years.
We're right around 32,000."


Letter to the editor in today's paper concerning Texas state quarter based
on Chron's coverage:

June 16, 2004, 1:10AM

VIEWPOINTS
Other side of new coin
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory...utlook/2629168

Regarding the June 11 Chronicle article, "Texas rolls out a new quarter,
rich in heritage," about the new Texas quarter: With a total of 2,500
designs submitted and six years to produce a blockbuster coin to represent
the uniqueness and heritage of Texas, the winning design was an
unimaginative and gratuitous outline of the state with a star over it.
The attempt to convince those of us multi-generational Texans that this new
coin is a legitimate representation of Texas, worthy of national
circulation, is unmatched. I ponder what the runner-up design looked like.

A pickup truck, complete with gun racks?

Gov. Rick Perry, who has already demonstrated his inability to stand up and
rally enough support to push through legislation in education funding reform
or in limiting property appraisals to no more than 3 percent annually, now
declares that "the Lone Star is one of the most identifiable symbols of
Texas."

What? I defy Perry to go to any area outside the states that border Texas
and find a citizen that will name "the Lone Star" as one of the top choices
as a symbol of Texas.

I feel pretty sure the star would fall far behind such other perceived
representations of this great land such as an oil derrick, a space shuttle,
a cowboy, a Longhorn steer or (the most obvious Texas symbol of them all)
the Alamo.

The spirit of the Lone Star has diminished to where its strongest influence
outside the state is from a beer of the same name or as an insignia on the
side of a football helmet. The proud banner that carries the Lone Star is
displayed everywhere as a representation of this great republic. But to the
rest of the country, the Lone Star is just one of the 50 that adorn Old
Glory.

Robert G. Manry, Richmond