Saturday, April 08, 2006

No Quarter (Special SayWA Edition)

So Washington State has opened up the voting for the new Washington State Quarter here. Since I've gone to such great lengths to go after the other quarters, it is only fitting to take on this group as well.

Design1
Well, this is the typical mixmaster disaster that we've seen so often before - a glumping together of elements against the shape of the state, a reminder that, without the Pacific and Columbia River, we'd look like Kansas. In addition to the state shape, we have state nickname, Mt. Rainier, a dying salmon, and a roll-over for the state apple-growers. I'm just surprised the powerful asparagus lobby didn't get their mitts on this. Brutally uninspired.

Rating: D=Real Lame

Design2
Better, commemorating the first siting of Fishzilla, the giant tail-walking salmon that haunts the wide lakes that surround the base of Mt. Rainier. Actually, this coin is gifted with both a natural scene and a bit more animation than is normal for a coin. Plus, as a bonus, the salmon shown doesn't have the rictus grin of a spawning and soon-to-perish fish. I kinda like this one, and we could do worse. And I think that Fishzilla could take on Minnesota's giant loon any day of the week.

Rating: B= Not Bad

Design3
I am really partial to this one - one image that strongly underscores the uniqueness of Washington State. No other state could use a NW Native American killer whale (well, maybe Alaska, but I understand they're going to use a drilling rig punching through the head of a polar bear). This would a distinctive coin. The tipping point would be feel - would it give me the intersting surface of the Connecticut Quarter's tree, or the parking-slug emptiness of the Texas "big nothing" coin? I really, really like the design.

Rating: A=Real Cool.

So go vote - they have half a million votes in the queue already, and the Killer Whale is currently in the lead!