Hot Springs quarter not a hot prospect

Have you found a Hot Springs, Ark., America the Beautiful quarter yet?

I have not.

Some Numismatic News readers have reported the new quarter in their change.

It usually takes a while for new designs to work their way to Iola, Wis., so I ordinarily would not be thinking about this yet, but my publisher, Scott Tappa, put the word out to all staff members this past week that he would like to see one and inquired if any one of us had one.

He had no luck.

As evidence of what is circulating around here in the past week I can report that I got two shiny new Guam quarters in one transaction at a large chain store in a nearby city. All the other coins were state quarters or the older eagle-reverse design.

Guam was the third design of six issues from last year’s District of Columbia and U.S. Territories offerings.

If the Guam quarters are any indication of the future, I am not likely to see a Hot Springs coin in anything other than a Mint-produced set before we celebrate the July 4th holiday in 2011.

Sorry, Scott.