What's up with that? It's not just the P.R. Quarters that are hard to get either. More like impossible for that matter.

I saw someone write that in another part of the country, they couldn't get Puerto Rico territorial quarters. I'm here to tell you the problem is widespread.

I have a family member (an in-law) who works in a bank, and ALL through the program, she got me FOUR rolls of each quarter (two for me, one for my mother, one for my grandmother, and a couple dollars worth of loose ones for Quarter Maps/Albums) for me and the family. Well, I got the same for DC, I am getting Guam, but for Puerto Rico, arguably what I might consider one of the more desirable territories, I got ONE roll, and some loose ones.

First, there were no (and still aren't) any Lincoln Cents for 2009. Sure, tease us with them, but don't release any to the public, unless you live in Utah and you write a letter to Orrin Hatch (go ahead, Google the story). It may actually even have been in a numismatic publication recently.

I digress.

No one carries the new Native American Dollar with the redesigned reverse of the Sacagawea for 2009. All these changes, but nothing at any bank. Not sold out - just never had them, or had so few, not enough to go around (like Puerto Rico).

It seems they are focusing on the Presidential Dollars, or so I am told. Forest/Trees?

I'm to the point that I've started asking relatives in other (multiple) parts of the country to check with banks and credit unions there to see, and offering to reimburse postage and of course cost, just to get my hands on the items at as close to face value as I can.

If I end up with more than one, I can suggest they return the money to the bank -- it is money after all, and save the postage and shipping hassle.

Meanwhile, I am saving a few of the coins I did get for 2009, a Presidential Dollar or two, a Sacagawea or two, some Territorial Quarters because another family member just had a baby. I got a cute Belleek Piggy Bank, and I want to include coins from the year of birth. If I wasn't including such a pretty Belleek bank as a gift already, I might be more generous with the coin like a Silver Eagle (if we could get those!) or something, but these will do I think.

I just checked, and even the overpriced rolls at USMINT.gov (for Puerto Rico) at $32.95 per roll are also SOLD OUT. Oy!