The revenues from the commemorative coins were just incredible and it prompted the Mint to come up with the idea for the statehood quarters. We are talking minting into the billions of coins. While the Mint doesn't make money on all the coins they do make money on the proof sets and the silver dollar proof sets. But more importantly, it introduced people to the Mint's Web site.

These coins have been around well past their expected time changes. It may have just been time to update them.