Today’s Mail Bag feature comes from reader Adrian H.. His question has to do with finding the American the Beautiful W Quarter in the wild, no matter which particular one. He contacted me via the contact form on the About page here on the site. You can too by going to this link, scrolling to the bottom of the page, and sending me a question or comment.
Hi,
I have been trying for months to collect a 2019 W quarter with no success. I think it is unfair and stupid of the mint to not make these available for me to buy as I’ve wasted hours trying to find one in change and in rolls.
Adrian H
So where to begin…
First Adrian, the entire idea of the 2019-W Quarter being intermingled with the Denver and Philadelphia Quarters was so you would go look at your change and rolls. The Mint even called this “The Great American Coin Hunt” so the hint is in the name. You are supposed to hunt for these quarters – that’s part of the fun.
Second, who said coin collecting is fair? I don’t think it is fair that I don’t have a 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent. Or a 1955 Double-Die Lincoln Cent. Fairness, as in life, rarely enters the equation in coin collecting. Which brings me to my third point.
Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good.
To be honest, I haven’t found a 2019-W Quarter either but that hasn’t stopped me from getting multiple rolls from my bank. I keep trying. Maybe I will get lucky and get one. Or Two. Or I may not get any at all. It is completely random on which rolls will have a W quarter in them – exactly how the Mint intended it.
My best advice Adrian is don’t focus on what you don’t have but focus on the fun of the potential of finding one of these 2019-W Quarters. As I write this, I’m on a flight from San Francisco back to Denver after a business trip. In my carry-on bag, just above my head, I have 10 rolls of quarters that I picked up at a local bank branch on my way out to the airport. I cannot wait to get home to open them! I have a 400 chances (40 Quarters per roll) to get one. I hope I do. I really hope that I do…. But you know what? If I don’t, I will be heading to my local bank branch sometime next week and picking up another handful of rolls to try again. Because the fun in this “Great American Coin Hunt” is the hunt itself and the thrill is when you actually find a W Quarter.
So don’t give up. Don’t focus on the negatives. Focus on the fun of the hunt. Who knows? The next roll you pick up from your bank may have more than one in it.