PNG Commemorative Quarters Holder Doesn't Cost A Cent

By Staff Writer - April 14, 2000

The latest Statehood Quarter release, Maryland

Children and adults easily can collect the popular states commemorative quarter-dollars with a free, educational Quarterboard(TM) available from participating members of the Professional Numismatists Guild (www.PNGdealers.com), a nonprofit organization composed of some of the country's top rare coin experts.

More than 600,000 Quarterboards will be given away in a joint project between PNG, the United States Mint, the American Numismatic Association and the American Numismatic Society.

One side of each board has 20 die-cut holes for holding a collection of 1999 and 2000 state quarters. Five states are honored each year with coins produced at both the Philadelphia and Denver Mints; two different mint marks for each state's coin for a total of 20 coins to collect in the program's first two years. The ten states are: (1999) Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia and Connecticut; and (2000) Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire and Virginia.

Additional Quarterboards will be produced every other year to conveniently hold representative examples of all coins to be issued by the Mint during the 50 State Commemorative Quarters program.

The other side of the Quarterboard has 35 color illustrations tracing the history of the U.S. quarter beginning with the 18th century Spanish Colonial 8 Reales Pillar Dollar, or "pieces of eight" of pirate treasure fame.

"The 8 Reales silver coins were also produced in 'bits,' fractional denominations of 4, 2, 1 and 1/2 Reales. A 2 Reales coin was 2 bits and equal to a quarter of a Pillar Dollar. That's how we get our slang expression today for twenty-five cent pieces - two bits," explained PNG President Fred Weinberg of Encino, CA.

"The first U.S. quarters were made of silver in 1796 and slightly larger in size than today's quarters. Only 6,146 were produced, and they are prized today by collectors. With the overwhelming popularity of the state quarters program, literally billions of new coins now are produced each year," said PNG Vice President Harlan J. Berk of Chicago, IL who coordinated the Quarterboard project.

PNG members have vigorously supported the commemorative quarters program. Former PNG Presidents Q. David Bowers of Wolfeboro, NH and Harvey G. Stack of New York, NY first suggested that individual U.S. states be honored with their own coins. Stack presented the idea to a U.S. House Banking subcommittee in 1995. PNG Legislative Liaison Donn Pearlman of Chicago, IL was the lead-off witness when the subcommittee held a formal hearing in 1996 on the proposal to create the 50 State Commemorative Quarters Program.

Complimentary Quarterboards can be obtained directly from participating PNG member-dealers. For a free PNG Membership Directory contact: Robert Brueggeman, PNG Executive Director, 3950 Concordia Lane, Fallbrook, CA 92028. Phone: (760) 728-1300. Fax: (760) 728-8507. E-mail: [email protected]. Web: www.PNGdealers.com.