While I was on the fourth
floor of the State Archives waiting to see Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger and First Lady of California
Maria Schriver, my husband, Joel, was on the first floor
waiting
to purchase quarter rolls. On that crisp,
chilly,
January,
the 31st, the line for State Quarters was twisting and
turning to outside the building and around the block. The
line
continued to wind within the first floor of the Archives
and out through the courtyard
portal. Once outside in the courtyard
the line continued churning through. It
was similar to lines for the Indiana Jones Attraction during peak
tourist
season at Disneyland!
The workers at this
event
were capable of moving the tremendous multitude through to the quarter
sales
tables so effortlessly that no one was discouraged from buying the
quarters. 200,000 quarters were trucked
into the State Archives for the launch.
The price was right: a ten
dollar bill would buy you a mint roll of California Denver Mint
Quarters and
each person in line was allowed to buy up to a total of five rolls
($50.00-worth). The Director of the U.
S. Mint and the Director of Sales for the Mint were on the premises.
They were
allowing the coin collectors’ questions, granting their autographs,
giving
interviews with reporters, being
available for photographic requests, all with the expertise of two who
had
already launched thirty previous well-received State
Quarters.
The Director, Henrietta Holsman Fore, was
especially proud of her connection to California, being a California
native
herself. She was a crowd pleaser. Gloria Eskridge,
the Mint
Sales Director,
handled the throng of merry Californians with charming
gracefulness. As Directors they make up a terrific team.
Garrett and Michelle Burke and Katie Burke, who created the design concept for the California Quarter, were the true troopers of this event. Situated in the draftiest corridor of the Courtyard where they very kindly signed their autographs for a line even more exuberant than the one for the quarter rolls, they embodied the best spirit of the numismatist in action. Needless to say they were pumped. Even that cold day couldn't stop them from spreading their generous wealth of enthusiasm for our shared hobby! They signed for everybody who lined up, no exceptions.
Earlier in the day, on
the
fourth floor of this same building, a small group of us had been to see
the
Governor. Those in attendance, mostly media, a cluster of about fifty
schoolchildren from a Sacramento school (who were given seats inside of
the
stage area), some of the folk on the quarter design selection
committee, as well as representatives of conservation
groups such as The Sierra Club, numismatic organizations, Yosemite
National
Park rangers (wearing their uniforms), two of John Muir's grandsons,
and
selected honored educators who had been personally chosen by First Lady
Maria
Shriver.
Thanks mostly to Mr. Jim Hunt who secured the CSNA contingent the front row seats, we numismatists were able to actually have somewhat of a conversation with the Governor and the First Lady after the First Lady's and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's introduction of the California State Quarter. Ms. Shriver is an eloquent presenter, as is the Governor, and they sparkled during a question and answer session with the school children. We discovered that the First Lady, Maria, is a coin collector from way back and is, in fact, great with coin trivia, put to use to "test" the coin collecting knowledge of the school children assembled there. The children were “naturals” answering the questions put to them with enthusiasm. Perhaps they are numismatists in the making. They certainly will have something to tell their children some day.
I have something to tell
my
daughter Grace, who was so tickled that I had been invited to
meet the Governor, and especially this
particular Governor. From Colorado
Springs, at the Air Force Academy, she
was so moved to phone me three times that day,
to check up on me, to make sure
my heart was still beating. Which
brings me to Governor Schwarzenegger.
The man is definitely of superhero stature. I am
actually
surprised my heart continues to be beating. It is only due to
the
attentiveness of the
other numismatists present that I am not connected to a defibulator
after being
near California's Governor. The
numismatists: Jim Hunt, Michael S.
Turrini, G. Lee Kuntz, and Greg Burns made sure that I didn't drop to
the
floor! Another numismatist, Sally
Johnson, President of San Jose Coin Club was in the next row not safe either from
the
effects of being in the Governator's presence.
phone 1 805 489 8045
fax 1 805 299 1818 This article may be reproduced as long as credit is
given to the
author and a reference is made to the www.joelscoins.com
web site.
INTERESTING WORLD COINS
& PAPER MONEY
www.joelscoins.com
Joel Anderson
PO Box 365
Grover Beach, CA 93483-0365 USA
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