Design with Route 66 chosen as Illinois Bicentennial coin

A design featuring Route 66 as one of its elements was chosen as the official Illinois Bicentennial coin, the state treasurer announced Monday. The winning design out of five proposals was by Hayden Schumer, 21, from the Route 66 town of Chatham, Illinois, which was part of the original 1926-1932 alignment of Route 66 south … Continue reading Design with Route 66 chosen as Illinois Bicentennial coin

Route 66 included in possible Illinois Bicentennial coin

Route 66 is among the design options that Illinois residents can choose when voting for the official design of the Illinois Bicentennial coin. All of the designs were created by Illinois artists. Coins can be pre-ordered for $45 each here. The artist's description of the coin design that includes Route 66: “The coin depicts Illinois’ strong; … Continue reading Route 66 included in possible Illinois Bicentennial coin

Museum’s penny press includes one with a Route 66 logo

The McLean County Museum of History in Bloomington, Illinois, recently unveiled a penny press that can make a souvenir coin with Abraham Lincoln and the Route 66 shield. According to the Bloomington Pantagraph, the museum's director of education wanted a penny press for years because it provides a cheap souvenir that children like. The machine … Continue reading Museum’s penny press includes one with a Route 66 logo

Let’s lobby for Route 66 half-dollar coins

A writer for Numismatic News, a magazine about coin collecting, is lobbying Congress for a series of Route 66 commemorative half-dollar coins that would be minted in 2016 -- the 90th anniversary of the Mother Road -- and is advocating others to lobby for them as well. Mike Olson, who is a member of the Citizens … Continue reading Let’s lobby for Route 66 half-dollar coins

Joplin blessed with a generous Secret Santa

The Route 66 town of Joplin, Mo., boasts a Secret Santa who manages to place fat cashier's checks into Salvation Army kettles in town every year, according to Time magazine. Amidst the haul, a Salvation Army counting crew found five $1 bills, folded tightly into squares — each concealing a $20,000 cashier's check with "Santa … Continue reading Joplin blessed with a generous Secret Santa

How about Route 66 on New Mexico’s quarter?

A story in the Santa Fe New Mexican reports on the design suggestions so far for New Mexico's quarter coin. Many of the suggestions have included fairly predictable offerings like chile peppers, yucca plants and roadrunners. There's this, however: One entrant described a classic car traveling down Route 66 into a sunset. Not bad. Maybe … Continue reading How about Route 66 on New Mexico’s quarter?