Coin Toss

By George, it's going to happen. Coin collectors everywhere are abuzz with the news that the flip side of the nation's quarter is about to undergo a redesign. "There's a great deal of excitement in the numismatic community," says Kenneth Bressett, immediate past president of the American Numismatic Association, "because coin collectors have felt that our nation's coinage was kind of stagnant--we haven't changed designs for many years."

Of course, coin collectors aren't the only ones expected to flip over the commemorative coins that will feature designs from each of the 50 states. Given the opportunity for states to highlight a point of civic pride--the Statue of Liberty, say, as a choice for New York--there's bound to be nationwide interest in the coins that are scheduled to be issued beginning in 1999. (The plan is to release five states' quarters every year until 2009.)