Sacagawea dollars and state quarters produce newly minted collectors

Sharise Meadows recently made six trips to Wal-Mart in a single week. Each time, she asked the cashier to give her "gold." <br>"Instead of using smaller bills for my purchases, I plan it so that I get

Tuesday, April 4th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Sharise Meadows recently made six trips to Wal-Mart in a single week. Each time, she asked the cashier to give her "gold."
"Instead of using smaller bills for my purchases, I plan it so that I get back lots of change," says Mrs. Meadows, a teacher's aid who recently developed a passion for collecting the new Sacagawea dollar coins.

"I'm collecting them for my grandchildren. I've already gotten them started on collecting the state quarters."

Like Mrs. Meadows, many people are pausing in the checkout line to look at their coins before dumping them into their change purse.

Newly minted numismatics, or coin collectors, are hot on the trail of the golden dollar coins and the state quarters - for the sheer fun of collecting.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Heritage Rare Coin Galleries in Highland Park is one of the largest rare coin dealers in the world. Go to their Web site at www.HeritageCoin.com for information on coins and their values and for information on free coin boards for your state quarters. The gallery is at 100 Highland Park Village at Preston Road and Mockingbird Lane. Call 214-528-3500.

The "hobby of kings" has become cool.

Whether they're looking for the Sacagawea dollar coin, the latest addition to the 50-state quarters series or for Buffalo nickels and Indian Head coins, more than 100 million people have taken a shine to collecting.

That new golden dollar - with an ad campaign featuring a hip George Washington who proclaims, "Well, at least I still look good on paper" - and the quarters can take credit for reinvigorating coin collecting.

"A large portion of these collectors are kids who are not doing it for resale but just for pure fun," says Stephen Bobbitt, spokesman for the American Numismatic Association in Colorado Springs, Colo. "The release of the limited edition state quarters really got the ball rolling for kids to start collecting."

Eight-year-old Peyton Devonof Plano is one such collector.

"My daughter was thrilled the first time she brought home one of the state quarters," says Monique Devon. "She's in second grade, and her teacher had been talking about the coins around President's Day. Now she's collected all of the ones available except Georgia, and she checks her lunch money every day for that one."

Peytonsays that some friends have begun trading the 50-state quarters to build collections. "I save all the states quarters that I find; that way I can trade them later when the other coins come out. Someday, I'm going to have all 50 states," says Peyton.

For 13-year-old Hector Ochoa, interest in coins began when he learned that coin collecting was part of his Boy Scout Merit Badge program.

"I got my first old coin at a Circle Ten Council Fair at Texas Stadium," where his interest was piqued by some ancient coins from Greece. "Ever since then, I check out every old coin I find to see where and when it was minted. I'd like to have a collection of coins from every year and mint mark of the 20th century."

Peyton's family has invested in a special "50 States Quarters" coin board (about $8 at various stores) and also has begun using plastic coin protectors to save and identify coins that Mrs. Devon brings home from her trips to Europe and Asia.

"We've enjoyed doing this as a family activity," says Mrs. Devon. "And I think that eventually it will give my daughter an improved understanding of geography and history."

Of the new Sacagawea dollar coin, Peyton says, "I'm glad they put a girl on a coin. I think there should be more girls on coins - not just presidents."

Most parents who are flipping over these quarters or are hoarding their dollar coins do not expect these items to rise in value.

"Hey, it's a dollar and, in the end, it's only going to be worth a dollar," says David Greenfield, who is collecting on behalf of his 14 grandchildren. "I think the value is more in the sentimental aspect of having it be the first gold dollar they received. I still have the first Kennedy half-dollar that I received."

According to Mr. Bobbitt, the whole idea of the dollar coin is more for economy than collectibility.

"These coins will last a lot longer than dollar bills, so the U.S. Mint can greatly reduce their paper and printing costs if they can get people interested in using the dollar coin."

Local merchants have more immediate concerns.

"We're actually having to re-order the new dollar coins because we consistently run out before a new shipment arrives," says Rodger Rowley, store manager of Wal-Mart at U.S. Highway 80 and St. Francis. Wal-Mart was the first national store to carry the Sacagawea coin.

When the coins were first released, Mr. Rowley had to impose a $4 limit on coins being given back to customers in change. "You should see how disappointed people are when they get a paper dollar [back in change]."

Unlike the 20-year-old Susan B. Anthony dollar coin, this new issue is earning high praise from cashiers, who find it easy to distinguish the Sacagawea dollar from other coins. The only problem so far has come from vending-machine users. Machines have to be re-fitted to accept or recognize the dollar coins.

Demand has been so high for the dollar coins (an alloy made of copper, zinc, manganese and nickel) that many financial institutions are still waiting to receive allotments.

Sarah Jennings, public affairs spokeswoman for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, says the orders are being filled as fast as the U.S. Mint can turn them out. The mint estimates that by the end of April one-half billion of the Sacagawea dollars will be in circulation.

Philip Diehl, director of the mint, told USA Today that the portrait of Sacagawea and her baby renders the coin emotionally appealing. As one reporter has written, Sacagawea presents "the first numismatic paradox in U.S. coin history: emotionally warm, cold, hard cash."

And a conservative estimate is that the 50-state quarters will earn the Treasury between $6 billion and $8 billion over the life of the program.

But parents and their kids aren't really talking dollars and cents here.

"Collecting coins is like treasure hunting," says Mike Wallach of Dallas, a third-generation collector whose sons and daughters have scoured couches and coin-return slots in vending machines and pay phones.

"There's the potential for a find in every piggy bank."