Quarter not a gold strike

Remember the gold-plated state quarters that were being sold on cable television? Not everybody does.

I had an e-mail inquiry about one that turned up in circulation.

“I recently found in my pocket change a 1999-D Georgia state quarter that is gold in color rather than silver. It resembles the color seen in a Sacagawea dollar, or the new Presidential dollar coins. Is this a common finding or a fake or ... ?”

This is a logical question, especially since it could be a wrong metal error.
I was able to tell the writer what it is he had.

The surprise to me, I guess, is not so much that one of these coins made it into circulation, because I have had inquiries of this kind a few times before. What is surprising to me is that so few of these gold-plated quarters have been spent and then found by collectors and others.

As people scramble to find money to pay bills, more of these novelty coins are likely to find their way into circulation.

Will the trickle become a flood?

Let me know if you have seen any.