One of my favorites

As many of you may have read last week, I'm not the biggest fan of the 50 States/Territories/America The Beautiful (ATB) series of Quarter designs. I am grateful for their effect on the hobby, but I think the series has run its course, and the next few years of ATB quarters will really drag on.

However, there are a few beauties among the banal. I can easily pick out 5 designs that I find beautiful and these always catch my eye as truly stunning. In no particular order, but definitely my top 5 are:

1. Connecticut (1999)

2. Oklahoma (2008)

3. Hawaii (2008)

4. Delaware (1999)

5. Nevada (2006)

There are a couple more that are also pleasing to MY eye, namely Vermont (2001) and Alaska (2008). THEN, there are a lot that fall in the middle for me. Some of the worst are those that are simply outlines of their respective state borders with some arcane or wishful association. Yes, I know the Hawaii quarter has the islands shown, but in a stylistic, non-cluttered, classical and artful manner. What can I say, I'm a sucker for nature and for classic/artful design.

Some of the worst designs (again, in my opinion) are:

46. Ohio

47. Indiana

48. Florida

49. Michigan

50. TEXAS

Four of these bottom 5 are for the most part just the outline of the state. Boring to say the least. Texas is a strong 50th place for me...no hard feelings toward the people, just the quarter.

BUT, on to my point now. I am happy to add to my collection an example of one of my favorite State Quarters. I snagged an example of a 2008-D Hawaii Satin Finish quarter graded SP69 (one of only 28 in this condition -- 27 from PCGS, 1 from NGC). This is the finale to the 50 State Quarters set, celebrating the addition of Hawaii to the union in 1959.

Cheers and happy collecting!

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