Quarters and Pigs

My dad gave me a dollar bill, cause I'm his smartest son,
And I traded it for two shiney quarters, cause two is more than one.

Shel Silverstein


I have an affinity for quarters; most evident as I will try to complete my 50 states collection this year with the final five states being released. My collection started however with a little ceramic pig. I made the pig myself in a high school art class and have since used it solely for the purpose of storing away all of the quarters that pass through my hands. My nickels and dimes are expendable, and I'll get rid of those any day of the week, but I put the quarters away for safe keeping in the pig. The piggy bank got its start long, long ago when people would make jars and house wares out of an earthen material they referred to as pygg. Anytime one collected coins in these jars they all of the sudden had a piggy bank. My piggy bank accepts only quarters, and when it is full can contain up to $50.00. Not bad for a little pig. I'll involve the family in counting the coins from little piggy when he gets full. The rules of participation are however that you must say something nice about the others participating for every coin you take out. It's an odd little process, but I'm grateful for it. So many times a little pig and a handful of quarters have been the means by which I've allowed myself to recognize such wonderful blessings in my family. The icing on the cake is that the money counted won't go to paying a bill, or to buying groceries, but it will used to go buy a dessert or to go to the movies. Like I said before, not bad for a little pig.