Washington State
I've been to Washington State (I'm obsessed with Mt St. Helens), I've even gotten a penny from there myself. Fortunately for me, a lot of my penny smashing friends have. People have been sending me so many pennies from Washington lately that I had to give them their own page! Alright!
Jennifer Edwards and her... Husband (!!! that's right she sometime travels without her mother!!??) went to Seattle in May 2004 and uh.. doesn't really remember anything about getting this quarter, but uh.. she says she had a good time there... and who doesn't love Seattle?
"Inaugural Game Safeco Field - July 15, 1999" My friend Vard was there! She sent me this quarter along with a couple of pennies from Safeco. It came on an imprinted card that says it's #203 of 500. Thanks Vard!
"Pirate's Plunder" Another gift! This one from Ed (last name supressed for security reasons). At this point, if you're like some people, you're wondering, "Sheesh, doesn't David get any coins himself? Heck I could have a huge collection too and a better website than him if I had a bunch of people fanning out across the country to pick up coins for me." I don't blame you for thinking that, but the truth is that I don't ask anybody to get coins for me, they just do it on their own! Really. Oh yeah, I think Pirate's Plunder is a store in Seattle.
"Museum of Flight - Space Shuttle" I still haven't been to the Museum of Flight, but this is the 3rd different coin I've gotten from there, from the third different person. I think I'm pretty lucky so far. I mean, I don't know how many coins there are there, but usually these things come in 4's, so to get 3 different ones from 3 different.... oh you get what I mean... (Vard sent this one.)
"Museum of Flight - Blackbird MD-21" The museum of Flight is in Seattle, Washington but I don't know where. Mim went there in 2002 and sent me this penny from there. Before she sent it, I didn't have a penny from there, now I have two. How'd that happen? Read on.
"Museum of Flight - Airforce One" The museum of Flight is in Seattle, Washington but I don't know where. Vard went there in 2002 and sent me this penny from there. Before she sent it, I didn't have a penny from there, now I have two. I wonder if Vard and Mim went together? They both live in Portland, Oregon. If you know, tell me. Update! - Nothing about Vard or Mim, but Natalie wrote and told me some things about the Museum of Flight!
"Seattle Welcomes the World" I thought this one was from the Century 21 Exhibition of 1962, The Seattle World's Fair, but Kristina tells me it's not from the '62 fair, but is IS from the observation deck at the Space Needle, but don't go up there looking for it, because it's not there anymore. I got it at the Knick-knack and Stuff Exhibition of Some Sunday in 2002, the Alemany Flea Market. This coin has travelled at least 800 miles in the last 40 years.
"Pacific Science Center - Seattle, WA" Woody, Nancy, and Miranda brought this one back from their trip to visit Woody's brother Matt and his wife Kelly. I sure have been getting a lot of Seattle coins lately.
"Seattle Aquarium" Cory, Codie, and Callie sit behind us at the Giants' game. We all go to almost all the games. (ok Brady and I only make it to about 70 of the 83 games) Anyway, Cory is Codie and Callie's mother and they brought me this penny (and a bunch more) back from Seattle, when they went there to, what else, go see the Giants play the Mariners.
"Evergreen State - Washington" Cory, Codie, and Callie brought this one back for me too.
When Cory, Codie, and Callie went to Seattle, they didn't just go to for the baseball games, they did a lot of other stuff too! Like uh.. umm... I don't know what else they did. Actually, I do know some other things they did, but that doesn't matter here.
The Giants lost 2 out of three in Seattle when Cory, Codie, and Callie were there, both by 1 run and one in extra innings. Turn those two losses around and the Giants make the playoffs. (Why do I torture myself like this?)
"Seattle Washington" I visited Seattle in July 2001. Mount Rainier really does dominate the skyline like it shows in this penny.
"Pike Place Market - Seattle" All the tourist guides say to visit this place, which is always a good reason not to visit, but it's a real working market with good produce, flowers, and, of course, fish. Another Cory, Codie, and Callie donation!
"Pike Place Market" I was in Seattle and went to Pike Place Market looking for a penny smasher and couldn't find one. Cory, Codie, and Callie found this one on the lower level, where I didn't look.
"Grand Coulee Dam" I think I bought this on ebay with a bunch of other pennies, but who knows? What I just learned is that the Grand Coulee Dam is the largest concrete structure in the US. find out more for yourself
"Worlds Fair 1962 - The Space Age" I got this one in Gilroy, California in 2000. I don't think it got there by rocket ship.
"Seattle Worlds Fair Monorail 1962" I rode on the monorail when I visited Seattle in July 2001, it really doesn't go anywhere, from the fairgrounds to a downtown shopping mall, that's it.
"Century 21 Seattle Worlds Fair 1962" I have no idea why I have so many Seattle WF pennies. I guess the real estate agency named itself after the fair, but who named the fair? If you know, tell me! Update! - Thomas wrote me a couple amazing letters about this penny!
Another penny from the Seattle World's Fair of 1962. This one commemorates John Glenn's first orbital space flight.
Mount St Helens erupted on May 18th, 1980. I was there on June 21, 2001. Just so you know, your National Parks Pass, the one you might have spent 50 bucks on at Crater Lake is no good at Mount St. Helens. I just want you to know that.
We hiked from the Johnston Ridge visitors center out around Devil's Elbow to get a look at Spirit Lake (about 7 1/2 miles there and back) and the all the wildlife we saw was a couple of squirrels... We did see elk tracks, but no baying coyotes, nope.
"Mount St. Helens" This is pretty much what it looks like from the far end of our hike. There's actually a web cam pointed at the mountain from where we started at Johnston Ridge. You can see what it looks like right now!
Anyway, I do love you Mount St. Helens, I'd wanted to go for such a long time and it didn't disappoint.
"Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe" is the original souvenir store on Seattle's waterfront. They've got shrunken heads, mummies, native american art, and, of course, smashed pennies.
"Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe - Seattle WA" It's kind of a cool store, I'm sure that the rest of the tourist shops on the waterfront grew up around it. This penny depicts YOCS's mascot mummy, Sylvester.
I don't know exactly where I got this, but I know I got it in July 2001 when I took my mother to Seattle to visit her cousin.
Another penny that I'm not sure where I got, I'm pretty sure I got it on the waterfront somewhere on my trip to Seattle in july 2001. I know, I know, I should start writing the stuff down. I did that for a while, but the system has been breaking down lately.
Now, if all the pennies I have were just a little more like this one, we wouldn't have to rely on my shoddy record keeping and imprecise memory. "Killer Whale Seattle - Waterfront Landmark Pier 55" I really don't know what qualifies the place as a landmark.
"Seattle" I really like the simplicity of this penny. It kind of reminds me of some of the Seattle World's Fair pennies I've seen. I have no idea how I got it, though. I've you gave it to me, let me know.
During the early part of 2000, my friend Jeshica was in a very successful play that went on tour from Berkeley to Seattle to Los Angeles. Whe she was in Seattle, she and Jimmy got me a bunch of pennies. This one shows the state of Washington with a star somewhere near Seattle. Wow.
"The Emerald City - Seattle" Jimmy and Jeshica brought me this one. It shows all the landmarks: Mt. Ranier, the Space Needle, the Kingdome... oops um uh you know they imploded the Kingsome earlier this year, right? Hey, I guess this one's a collector's item! Yippee!
"Washington State Ferry" Another from Jimmy and Jeshica, March 2000. I have know idea where the Washinton State Ferry goes. Oh well, thanks you guys!
"Seattle Center" This is the most baffling penny I have in my collection. I have no idea what it depicts. It's an inverted triangle with a bunch of squiggles at the bottom. There might be a be a human figure at the bottom right. If you can explain this penny, please do! Update: A bunch of people have written to me about this penny!
"Space Needle - Mt Ranier" This is my favorite of the pennies Jimmy and Jeshica brought back from Seattle. It's so nice and simple, and the trees at the bottom have a really great texture. Thanks you guys!
"Seattle Wonderland" This penny is packed with seattle landmarks! The Space Needle, the Kingdome, Mt. Ranier, Puget Sound, who needs to go? John and Abby brought this one back for me. Thanks you two!
"Lucky Penny - Seattle Space Needle" Did you know the Space Needle is surrounde by giant four-leaf clovers? I think they need to do some weeding.
If you never go to new places, you don't learn about local customs. If it weren't for John and Abby, I would never have heard of Sneedle, who, I guess, is the Space Needle leprechaun or clown or something. Maybe I should have gone myself...
"Seattle - Space Needle" What can I say, if you only have one real landmark, milk it! Actually, I like this penny, it's simple and clean. Thanks John and Abby!
"Seattle Mariners" That's the Mariners logo. I'm not sure what the star signifies. Come to think of it, I'm not sure what the Mariners signify, but hey they still have Alex Rodriguez!
Update: Louis wrote to me about this penny... and umm... the Mariners don't have Alex Rodriguez anymore... uh but they do have Ichiro!
"Century 21 - Seattle World's Fair 1962" Yes, yes, I know I was sniping at the Space Needle earlier, but here's a penny from the birth of the thing. Plus, it shows a monorail going around the bottom. Sheesh... I gotta do some research...
"Space Needle Seattle" Did you know that there are no other buildings in Seattle? Apparently it's right there on Puget Sound surrounded by forests and mountains. (you know, Mt. Ranier?) Anyway, I like this kind of penny that leaves out all those annoying details other landscapes include. Vard sent me this one, Thanks Vard!
Vard went to the first game at Seattle's Safeco Field on July 15, 1999. She sent back this penny, the next one, and a quarter. This one says "Inaugural Season 1999 Safeco Field - Home of the Seattle Mariners" Thanks Vard!
Vard also sent this one, "Ain't Baseball Great Seattle Mariners", proving that not only do the Mariners stretch pennies, but the bounds of Grammar as well! (Both of these are punched because they came on a keychain/necklace type thing. Alright!)
