Why not just order?

While certain individuals will be attempting to shake coins out of the Denver Mint on Monday, collectors will have the opportunity to get the new Alaska quarter the regular way. They can order rolls and bags from the U.S. Mint. Granted, it probably isn’t as much fun as levitating a building and shaking it, but getting Alaskan state quarters is still pretty interesting for us collectors.

I like the design. I like the design a lot. The bear grabbing the salmon, or perhaps trout, says it all. Why can’t Wisconsin’s quarter have something that strong on it?

After all, we have bears here. They can be annoying, but they are real. We also have trout.

But we also have cows, cheese and corn here as well, so that is what we got on our coin when it was our turn in 2004.

I have written a number of times that the Wisconsin design was chosen by a vote of the people of the state, so I can’t complain about the design on those grounds.

But then I go and see a really good state quarter design and I am just envious. Nevada was a really good one, too.

Fortunately, I can collect any of the other 49 designs that I want.

But if I want the 49th state, that order period starts Aug. 25. Visit the Mint Web site at www.usmint.gov for details.

If I still had the 49-star flag that I had when I was a kid, I would wave it. It’s Alaska’s turn.