I was reading an old reference book with many articles on coins when I read a piece on coin collecting and relaxation. Here are my thoughts on the subject.
Our brains need a break from time to time, but in this day and age, who has time for a break, right? Coins, with their ability to mentally transport us to other times and places, can give us a break from the complications of our modern world.
Take a mental vacation when looking at one of our new national park quarters. The coins started in 2010 and include: Yosemite, Smokey Mountains, the Everglades, and many others. Please help promote the addition of Pinnacles National Park quarter to the list. Pinnacles and at least three other parks were missed in the original authorization because they became a national park after the original authorization. To complete this set, these four additional parks need to be added to this series, which ends in 2021.
The Standing Liberty Quarter, made from 1916 to 1930, the type two coin, features Liberty in armor with a shield for protection and an olive branch in hand. The entire design is a symbol of strength and peace. The model for this quarter was a 5’4”, 22-year-old nurse who served with the Red Cross. Her friends called her the quarter girl; imagine she as the Wonder Woman of her time, and how exciting it must have been to be featured on the quarter. Standing between favoring peace and preparing to defend our liberty, the actual model used for the Standing Liberty quarter is still up for debate, but I tend to lean toward the story of the young nurse, according to early accounts.
Struck down by lighting in the 1850’s, The Charter Oak is represented on the Connecticut state quarter. How many times do we see this tree and never think of the trials and tribulations of our original colonists and the important role this Oak played in their struggles against royal interference. The Charter Oak tree on the state quarter mirrors the tree designs of the coinage of the future American states minted in Massachusetts in the mid 1600s. The first coins featured Willow, Oak, and Pine trees and will forever live as part of the beginning history of America.
Please stop by the coin shop sometime and take a trip back into the past or enjoy coins for more insight into the present.
