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In 1966, a little more than 40 years ago, NBC became the first television network to convert all its programs to full color. The practice was so novel, so revolutionary, that before the program started, an announcer would say that it was "brought to you in living color on NBC."
It may be hard for someone reading this column today to imagine color television ever being a big deal, but it was quite the rage when it began.
We live in a colorful world and that may be why some collectors of State quarter dollars enjoy collecting coins that have in some way had color added to the designs. Some of the pieces enter circulation.
Recently collector Aaron Kaney of Illinois came across a 2004 Texas quarter dollar as part of a roll of coins from a bank. Kaney writes that the reverse side commemorating Texas appeared normal but on the obverse, above George "Washington's head, it had been painted or something. It looks like a computer painted over Washington head the portrait of Sam Houston with the Texas state flag in the background."
Kaney said he had never seen anything like this and we have to admit we haven't seen this specific design, but we have heard of plenty of colorized State quarter dollars.
Though the United States Mint does not colorize coins it makes, a number of private firms do add color to genuine coins. The colorized State quarter dollars and other coins are then sold in stores and by TV marketers.
On some coins, the color is hand-painted; on other coins, the color is applied in the form of stickers; and on still others, a type of printing process is used to overlay the color.
Firms selling the colorized quarter dollars have used a wide range of designs on the coins.
In 2002 a firm began adding a color image of the late Elvis Presley to the 2002 Tennessee State quarter dollars. The Elvis portrait was fused over Washington's bust.
One of the most recent examples of colorized coins surfaced in 2007 when 20th Century Fox and the Franklin Mint used 2005 California coins to promote its new movie Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. The Franklin Mint used a colorizing process to apply a color-enhanced image of the Silver Surfer, a comic book character.
Collectors often ask whether the practice of colorizing coins is legal.
The U.S. Secret Service normally looks at the intent behind the colorizing. The addition of color to coins with the intent to defraud is a crime. But most of the color-enhanced State quarter dollars that collectors purchase or find in circulation do not fall into this category.
The U.S. Mint has received inquiries regarding colorized coins and has posted a statement about that and other consumer-related issues at its Web site, www.usmint.gov. Click on the Consumer Alerts button for more information.
First Reports
Brian Perry of Delaware reported April 3 that he received a roll of 2008-P Oklahoma quarter dollars from a bank.
Mark Robbins of New Mexico reported April 7 that he received 2008-D New Mexico quarter dollars at the release ceremony.
Circulation Reports
Lee R. Loewenstern of Pennsylvania reported March 31 that he found a 2008-D Oklahoma quarter dollar in his change.
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