MN READERS DESIGN COIN FOR CALIFORNIA

Nearly 300 Mercury News readers sent in their best ideas for the
quintessential symbol of California -- from the Golden Gate Bridge to
Mickey Mouse -- for the back of the state's commemorative quarter due out
in 2005.

The governor and the U.S. Mint will make the final selection early next
year from thousands of entries sent to Sacramento by the Nov. 9 deadline.

But just for fun, the Mercury News ran it's own little contest, soliciting
entries and choosing a Top 10.

What many lacked in artistic skill was made up for in sincerity and humor.
Images of California nature, from the giant sequoia to Yosemite's Half
Dome, captivated the largest number of entrants, whether they were school
children or adults. And the Gold Rush of 1849, which inspired the great
migration West, was frequently depicted in sketches of miners panning for gold.

But a single image of California seemed an unfair proposition for about
one-fifth of the entrants, who submitted designs with a combination of
landmarks and symbols, often superimposed on a state map.

Choosing 10 was no easy task for Mercury News graphic artist Stephanie
Grace Lim, who judged the competition. "I went for humor, creativity and
overall effort," Lim said.

While Lim selected a delicate rendition of the Golden Gate Bridge and an
8-year-old's carefully drawn bouquet of poppies, among other serious
entries, she couldn't resist a few that captured the quirky parts of
California's personality. With her design of a marijuana plant, artist Jean
Hanamoto from Morgan Hill wrote, "Serious I'm not! However, since this is
one of California's main agricultural products and we're so far ahead of
the rest of the U.S. as far as legalization for medical purposes, it almost
seemed possible."

An entry that also received a wry chuckle, but didn't make the Mercury Top
Ten, was a simple phrase to be embossed on the coin. Emailed in by Tim
Cooper, it read: "Don't Even Think of Parking Here."

Mercury's Top 10 included, in no particular order:

- - A bunch of poppies from 8-year-old Crystal Alvarez of Baker Elementary in
San Jose

- - A simple smiley face (as in "have a nice day,") designed by 5th-grader
Normann Sky of Hoover Elementary in Palo Alto

- - A computer mouse designed to look like Mickey Mouse called "clickable
Mickey," by John H. Peters of Cupertino

- - An otter clutching a rock, or perhaps a clam, by Daniel Fernandez of San Jose

- - A map of California behind the Golden Gate and a poppy by Lim Bee Lee of
Campbell.

- - A gold miner's pick axe set against snow-capped mountains, by Rosie
Strave of Los Altos

- - A combination of California's past and present by Brian Velasquez from
Andrew Hill High School in San Jose, who sketched an image of cowboy
hat-clad miner at a computer desk doing a "Search For: Gold."

- - Marijuana leaves, by Jean Hanamoto of Morgan Hill.

- - A sunset radiating over the waves behind an outline of California, by
12-year-old Elizabeth Selbo of San Jose

- - A California mission, by fifth grader Lisa Yang, of Hoover Elementary
School in Palo Alto.

- - For more information about the official state contest, go to
www.governor.ca.gov.