Coin Collecting at the Safir House
Washington and Washington State Quarters


Thu Mar 28 15:22:55 2024
The Washington Quarter stated in 1932 as a commemorative celebrating the 200th anniversity of George Washington's birth. The artist, John Flanagan, was one of the artists that came from the stable of artists that was assembled by Austus St Gauden. Flanagan was a talented artist and that makes the coin more than a puzzle to me, because its one of the flatest, ugliest, pedestrian design ever put into circulation. It was designed to be produced for a single year and yet here we are in 2009 and beyound pretty much still stuck with it. Looking at a Washington Quarter, with the barely visible hair line, inadeqately designed or detailed bald eagle, and just boring overall composition is like watching paint dry. It is so ugly and yet it replaced one of the briliant of all coin designs ever with the Standing Liberty Quarter. Every school child knows the Washington Quarter just stinks compared to past designs, but Congress continues with it's choice, dumb and deaf to the lack of asthetics.

How obvious is this? It is this obvious:

Obviously something has gone wrong in American Coin Design...

That being said, there are some notable examples of Washington Coinage worth showing. And the state quarter issues, after getting past the childishness of the idea, has created a number of worth designs....but nothing that could stand up to Standing Liberty Quarter.


Delaware - Looks like Paul Revere but it isn't. Nice first design


Virgina - James Town Colony


Second Virgina example


New York State - Brooklyn is here


Indiana - Great Car


Ohio - Space Program and Flight - looks better than the Ike dollar


Iowa


Wisconcin - Moo..


West Virginia - one of the nicest designs


Kansas Bison


North Dakota - Nicer than you might expect


Nevada - Wild Horses - great design


South Dakota - Prairie


Another Terrific look at the horses


Washington - Salmon


Another view of WV and the gorge design


Bicentennial Silver Proof

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The Safir Family Internet Coins Library.

Click to see these examples show below including photography: note to lawyer: most of the good stuff is gone
Section I:
US Coints
Large Cent Coppers
Flying Eagle Cents
Lincoln Cents and Wheat Backs
Buffalo Nickels
Jefferson Nickels
Jefferson Silver War Nickels
Bust Half Dimes
Mercury (Liberrty Head) Dimes
Roosevelt Dime
Barber Quarter Dollars
Standing Libery Quarter
Washington and Washington State Quarters
Cap Bust Half Dollars
Seated Half Dollars
Barber Half Dollars
Walking Liberty Half Dollars
Franklin Half Dollars
Kennedy Half Dollars
Morgan Silver Dollars
Peace Silver Dollars
Eisenhower Clad and Silver Dollars
Sacawagea Golden Dollars
Modern Silver and Clad Proof Sets
Modern American Silver Eagle uncirculated mint coins and proofs
Modern Silver and Clad 2008 Commorative Bald Eagle Series
Gold Coins - Not too many
Circulated US Silver Coins prior to 1964

Go To Section II:
Modern and Ancient Foreign Coins from Outside The United States

Go To Section III:
Mandy's 25th Anniversary World Wildlife Fund Silver Coins

Unsorted Extra stuff:
Bust US Coinage
From the coin Show at Melville Long Island

The Safir Family Internet Coins Library: Foriegn Coins.

Several mints from around the world make exciting coin designs in circulating alloys, silver and gold. Among my favorites are the Perth Mint in Austrailia which produces a variety of coins for nations mostly through out the Pacific Rim. The Neatherlands has also produced some interesting designs, and several private US based mints have produced foreign currency on contract, include the Franklin Mint which has produced many Israeli Coins.
Our interest in foreign coins has been nominal but rapidly growing as it seems that US designs are so stuck in the mud. Also, foreign mints are creating bold new designs with color and bimetal designs that are both eye catching and fun.

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