Who doesn’t like the sound of jingling change in their pockets and the feel of a wad of cash pushing against their wallets? But, with the movement toward the electronic age, cold hard cash is quickly being replaced by plastic.

If the current trend continues, the American public might abandon tangible money completely.

There is a new proposal before Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, which would make the U.S. Mint produce 50 new designs for the backs of quarters.

The new designs, one for each state, would replace the eagle which has been on the quarter for over half a century. The plan was created to spark a new interest in coin collecting and state heritage.

Money has been nearly phased out. If you want a new television, put it on the Mastercard.

What happened to the days when “real” money had “real” value? Today, people will not even bend down to pick up a discarded coin off the street.

Even area banks are jumping on the impersonal bandwagon. Many banks are now charging people if they inquire about their accounts in person. Instead of one-on-ones with personal bankers, people are checking their accounts on the Internet. Maybe giving quarters a facelift will boost our mechanized economy needs. Children will again be excited to receive a quarter as a gift. Adults will again consider the coin a worthwhile possession.

In 1975 and 1976, when bicentennial quarters were released, an estimated 1.8 billion quarters were harvested for coin collections. The new quarters could have an even larger impact. Show me the money! But don’t pull out a credit card. Show me some fresh greenbacks and some newly minted coins. It is time we returned to an age when the dollar was still almighty.