DANIEL WEBSTER | Coins Ohio quarter vies for global title

Two U.S. coins are in the running for 2002 coin of the year in the annual World Coin News international judging now under way.
The grand-prize winner will be picked from among 10 finalists judged winners in specific categories. The winner will be named in March.
The competition is for 2002 coins because many mints complete a year's production well into the new year.
The U.S. finalists are the Ohio state quarter, named most historically important, and the West Point Bicentennial silver dollar, named best crown. The Ohio quarter juxtaposes the Wright Brothers' plane and an astronaut.
The Austrian Mint produced winners in three categories: best silver coin, best gold coin, and a coin celebrating the Schoenbrunn Zoo as most popular coin. Latvia's silver 1-lats coin, named "Destiny," was chosen most artistic, and Brazil's bimetallic 1-real piece won in the trade coin division.
The British Royal Mint won in the best contemporary event category with its 5-pound gold piece marking Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee. Its 5-pound silver piece showing Diana, Princess of Wales, receiving flowers from a child, struck for Alderney, was named most inspirational. The coin's message is "The work goes on."
A private mint, the Pobjoy, struck the most innovative competition winner. Its Isle of Man 60-pence bronze has a moveable silver center disk that turns to act as a currency converter.
From Holland
The Dutch Royal Family ceremoniously struck the first coin showing Crown Prince Willem Alexander and Princess Maxima with their baby, Princess Catharina-Amalia. The child was born Dec. 7.
The innovative new coin offers all three portraits, but only one can be seen at a time.
A process using 46 minuscule ridges makes the portraits visible depending on the angle from which the coin is viewed. Geneticists will note that there are 46 chromosomes in each human, each containing equal contributions from mother and father.
The reverse shows the Queen Mother Beatrix at the center of a pattern of circles. The 10-euro coins are in silver proof, priced at $44.75, and the 20-euro and 50-euro coins are in gold proof. Prices are $345 and $535.
Send queries to the Coin and Currency Institute, Box 1057, Clifton, N.J. 07014; call (800) 421-1866; or e-mail mail@coin-currency.com.
Edison dollar
Thomas A. Edison is honored on the silver commemorative dollar issued this month. The obverse shows a famous pose of Edison standing in his laboratory, light bulb in hand. The light bulb is on the reverse, too, as the focus of the 125th anniversary of its existence.
The silver proof costs $33; the uncirculated version, $31. Prices go up after March 26.
Orders go to the U.S. Mint, Box 382601, Pittsburgh 15250-8601.
XDaniel Webster is a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer.