I'd like to believe there was a time when Washington, D.C., was not the lightening rod for all the troubles in the country. That's probably Pollyannaish, but I say it because, in the world of the most popular collectibles — stamps and coins — the District has been where they always originated. "What could be a problem there?" you may ask. Right now, a few things.

First, a rather prominent member of the Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee just resigned. The CSAC is a group that weeds through the countless submissions made for stamp subjects. They may even have ideas of their own. The group is usually a blend of history, graphic and philatelic folks.

What makes the recent resignation of member Ben Bailar interesting is two-fold. First, he was a former postmaster general. That's a hefty qualification. But, the second thing, his reason for resigning is most interesting.

According to a story in Linn's Stamp News, he may not be a fan of the many pop culture stamps being released. Those would certainly include the recent issues commemorating Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. The story went on to suggest Bailar felt the USPS was more concerned about printing stamps that would make money than focusing on the message they convey.

Not being on the CSAC I can't personally speak to any of this. But, if I did, I'd think the contemporary stamps were a rifle shot to the last bastion of real consumers of stamps — the baby boomers. After all, they've got the disposable income and are most likely to buy and use them. And, they may even have been at Woodstock. Sounds like a good business decision to me.

Another hiccup in D.C. came last month with the release of the much-anticipated gold Kennedy Half-Dollar coin. A limit of 40,000 of the coins was announced with only a limited amount being available for each household. Speculators smelled a winner offering quick profits. Not so fast.

Just before the release date, it was unclear as to whether that mintage number might go up with scarcity jeopardized. On the first day of sale, the coins were sold by phone, web and at a major coin convention in Chicago as well as at other Mint locations with strict purchasing limits. I'm told dealer/speculators hired homeless and unemployed people to stand in line to purchase them for a small stipend. Security became an issue and in-person sales were suspended.

In the end (and as of this writing) over 60,000 of the coins were sold and climbing. According to the Mint's website, they are still available. Any household can purchase up to five of them.

So, the coin proved not to be a quick rarity. Speculators were not happy. They thought they were buying a limited-edition coin. But it could work out for collectors and in the long run, as gold prices rise, everybody could win. The $1,200+ price tag of the coin may prove to be a bargain.

One non-controversial bright spot is this month's release of the latest America the Beautiful quarter. Having just returned from Michigan, and the endless fabulous sand dunes along its shore, I thought this new quarter was issued just for me. It commemorates and illustrates the Great Sand Dunes. Alas, those on the new quarter are not Michigan but those at the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.

The image on the quarter features the towering dunes with a man and child playing in the cool waters of Medano Creek in the foreground. It just may be the last visual vestige of summer, as we get ready to head into autumn.

The quarter has just been released and should be showing up in change shortly. Bags and rolls of uncirculated quarters can be obtained directly from the Mint online at www.USMint.gov or by calling toll-free, 800-USA-MINT (872-6468).

To find out more about Peter Rexford and features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.