Two-bit champ

A retired printer turns in
the top design for a Hawaii quarter

By Burl Burlingame
Star-Bulletin

Before retiring from his job as a printer, Joseph Chung of Kaneohe saw hundreds of designs pass his way. The simplicity and elegance of good design must have taken root, because Star-Bulletin readers voted overwhelmingly for Chung's design for a Hawaii-related quarter.

Beginning in 1999, the U.S. Mint is supposed to start cranking out quarters with a state-related design on the back of each, five different coins a year, in the order of admission to statehood.

This means Hawaii will be dead last in 2009, but it's not too soon to prime the pump. We'll pass Chung's quarter on to the governor as a contender for the design.

By Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin
Joseph Chung's clean, simple design for a Hawaii quarter
garnered the most votes in our Two-Bit contest. His sketch
was rendered in metallic tones, above, by Star-Bulletin
artists Dave Swann and Kip Aoki.

---

Each of the 25 finalists in the Star-Bulletin's Two-Bit contest -- including Chung -- will receive a roll of quarters for their effort, and Chung will also collect 25 rolls of quarters for winning the popular vote. Besides the fact that he'll never be without soda or parking-meter money again, Chung says his selection was an honor. "This is one of the most exciting things that has ever happened to me in my life."

More than 2,200 readers cast legitimate ballots in this contest, 364 voting for Chung's design. Then there were a couple of dozen readers who mailed in ballots but didn't vote for anyone, perhaps in an effort to help out the U.S. Post Office as well as the U.S. Mint.

Chung, 64, actually worked for the Star-Bulletin for a brief time in the commercial printing plant in the '50s. "It was my first job out of college," he said. Chung is now retired and consults for small printers, as well as volunteers at the city's Department of Parks and Recreation.

Since the issuing of the Hawaii quarter in 2009 occurs on the 50th anniversary of statehood, Chung decided to tie in the two events. "I thought the simplest and most visible element would be the Hawaiian flag," he said.

Once the basic concept was decided upon, Chung said he didn't do much else except research antique Hawaiian coins in the state library to make sure the design was appropriate.