COLLECTING STATEHOOD QUARTERS

In 1999 when the first quarters were released everyone got on the bandwagon. Quarter maps were being advertised constantly on CNN and other TV stations. Seems every coin hustler in creation had some sort of “deal”. The large cardboard maps of all the states with a hole to plug in a quarter for that state sold like hotcakes. We’d get 50 or 100 in and sell them in a week.  Now (2006) we sell a dozen maps and about 50 plug in albums a year, and we are the biggest coin dealer in the Tampa Bay area. Generally speaking, people now want only the newly released quarters for their maps or coin albums.

In 1999 the people on TV, and promoters selling maps and coins in the newspapers, created such a demand for coins that the price of uncirculated rolls of 1999 quarters went sky high. Some promoters were even paying a premium for certain circulated
coins. This went on for over a year. Since then there is no furor. The price on 1999 rolls is low. Statehood quarters among dealers are a ho-hum deal. There is not much action, little real demand. The only quarters that are hot are the ones just issued. Not many people buy them by the roll. Most are buying to fill in their maps or coin albums.  

We are a bit perplexed by these buyers. You’d think this would be a good collectable for youngsters. The coin albums are dirt cheap. Most of the coins can be readily found in circulation. However about 95% of our statehood quarter customers are people 65 or older. Most are collecting for their grandkids who are mainly interested in video games and could care less about collecting coins.  This has been a disappointment to us.  

People often ask if they should save the quarters they find in change. We don’t think it is a good idea to horde them. It will be a long, long time before circulated statehood quarters are worth much more than 25c. Few of the BU rolls have increased any amount worth mentioning. Some of the proof and mint sets containing these have done well, especially the 1999 issues, but many are now selling below issue price.

Our advice is to have fun collecting these but don’t go overboard. Typical mintage at each mint for statehood quarters is over 400 million. Who knows about the future? We don’t think the word “investing” should be used with “statehood quarters”. At least that is our opinion.