In the near past, I recall people being derided for what have always been everyday things. For instance, some years ago, I expressed interest in getting a new wristwatch. Some in their early 20s laughed and pointed out how “old school” that was. Their smartphone had a clock on it so they no longer had a need for one on their wrist. A decade later, along came the iWatch from Apple. Overnight, those same cynics couldn’t survive without one on their wrist.
On a larger scale, tangible money has also been falling out of fashion. For some, it was totally passé. Digital transactions and credit cards supplanted paper money and coins. (The ultimate paradox? Payments can now be made simply by waving an iWatch in front of charge card readers....)
But, wait! Everything from grocery stores to restaurants are now adding a three- or four-percent surcharge for credit purchases. With inflation and prices unbridled, people are returning to paying cash to avoid those charges.
An upside to the return to cash is awareness of what’s on our money. For instance, the current American Women Quarters series. The front showing George Washington may appear the same as all other quarters. However, the reverse is an ongoing lesson in how females have helped mold the US.
The most recent to be issued features Patsy Takemoto Mink. Mink is significant for multiple reasons. First, her ethnicity is Hawaiian/Japanese so she is, by definition, a “person of color.” Second, she was born in 1927. That means, as a third generation American, she was coming of age just when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor – a difficult time to have any Japanese ancestry particularly in Hawaii. Third, she was the first person of color and Asian-American to be elected to Congress. While she was in the House of Representatives, Mink would travel from Washington to Honolulu every two weeks to meet with her constituents.
Fourth, and possibly most important, Mink was an author and driving force behind Title IX legislation. That guaranteed women the same chance and support as men to compete in collegiate education and sports. After her death in 2002, Title IX was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act. Her quarters should be appearing in our change in a few weeks. They can also be ordered in proof or uncirculated condition directly from the Mint at: www.USMint.gov.
Another reason it’s an opportune time for coins and currency to make a comeback is that 2026 is the 250th anniversary of the founding of the US. That’s literally just around the corner.
Many alive today vividly recall the craziness in 1976 when we observed the bicentennial of the country’s founding. At that time, a new quarter design was unveiled replacing the standard eagle with a revolutionary-era drummer – a change not seen since 1932 People saved and hoarded those en masse. Kennedy half dollar and Eisenhower dollar coins also sported new designs in 1976.
Collectors also remember the updated design on the $2.00 bill featuring John Trumbull’s painting of Congress gathered for the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Those bills may rarely see circulation but are still widely favored and collected worldwide.
The Postal Service went to equal great lengths issuing commemorative souvenir sheets and patriotic panes of colonial flag stamps. Many bicentennial postal issues still command a hefty collecting premium.
As the only democracy in history to have survived 250 years, the upcoming anniversary in 2026 is epic. The wheels at the US Mint; Bureau of Engraving and Printing; and the US Postal Service are turning for a variety of issues commemorating our semi-quincentennial. They will have the coins, stamps and currency aplenty to honor it.
Already, the Mint has several designs in the works for our penny and nickel. Undoubtedly, special quarters, halves and golden dollars could also appear. In the initial phases, one-cent and five-cent pieces include updated portraits and the years “1776 – 2026” on them along with the possible inclusion of a Liberty Bell privy mark. It will, of course, be the ideal time to offer exciting image alternatives on our circulating paper money.
While it may be two years away, as I’ve learned all too well, time no longer flies – it’s now on a rocket sled. 2026 will be here before we know it, along with an entire array of new collectibles. Brace yourself.
For more collecting information and advice, log on to: http://prexford.com/.