Two avid coin collectors from Kansas and Virginia have agreed to split the $5,000 Professional Coin Grading Service (www.PCGS.com) bounty for almost simultaneously submitting the first 2019 “America the Beautiful” Lowell National Historical Park quarter-dollars with a West Point mint mark. Both entries arrived to PCGS headquarters the same day.
The PCGS Quarter Quest continues, offering incentives and fun with W mint mark quarters in the weeks ahead. “After PCGS announced the Quarter Quest competition on Friday, April 5, 2019, the entire office buzzed with anticipation,” said PCGS President Brett Charville. Who would win? Would there be more? With quarters circulating, will high grades be rare? “How long until the first one passes through the grading room?”
Quickly, the questions were answered. On Tuesday, April 9, PCGS received the first two qualifying W mint mark quarters. They were supplied by Topeka, Kansas collector “Steven R.” and Fairfax, Virginia collector “Michael T.”
Steven said he won his MS65 coin when he “just stopped at a gas station to buy a couple of Pepsis.” His passion in coin collecting began when he searched his grandfather's coin jars for significant finds. “I was always looking for that ‘44 steel penny,” he said.
After receiving an Eisenhower dollar from his father, Michael started collecting coins and found his winning coin when he bought rolls of quarters. He said, “On the end of one roll I saw a W mint mark, and I was super excited there might be something good in here.” His W quarter is PCGS MS66.
Encapsulated coin inserts say “PCGS First Discovery 1 of 2.” PCGS pays the two collectors $2,500 each. Collectors can continue to win prizes for finding future W mint mark quarters in the PCGS Quarter Quest competition.
We are offering a bounty for each of the remaining and qualifying 2019 America the Beautiful West Point quarters,” said PCGS Director of Marketing Heather Boyd.
The first submitted Northern Mariana Islands' American Memorial Park 2019-W, expected to be distributed next, offers a $2,000 incentive. As with the Lowell quarter, any submitted within seven days of PCGS First Discovery confirmation will receive the First Week of Discovery pedigree, she noted.
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