"Leave well enough alone." "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." "A bird in the hand … " Etc.

All are nice axioms, and many wise people stick to them. Of course, there are exceptions. Hollywood is notorious for not leaving well enough alone. If a movie is a hit, studios scramble to create a sequel, no matter how bad it may be. It's a matter of money. Happily, there are exceptions.

"The Godfather" — arguably the greatest film of all time, was nicely followed by "Godfather II," an equal contender for the top film spot. Books, too. Had J.K. Rowling stopped after her first "Harry Potter" novel the literary world would have suffered. Still, I think it all goes back to money.

No entity understands that better than the U.S. government. They spend money faster than anyone. Then again, they also make it — a convenient trade-off, to say the least.

There's no arguing that the 50 State Quarter Series of coins they made is the most popular ever created. I've written about that too many times so I won't rehash it. But, come November, that, too, comes to an end when the final quarter honoring Hawaii (our 50th state) is released. Five more saluting Washington, D.C. and four U.S. territories will be minted in 2009, increasing the total to 55 coins.

Congressman Mike Castle, (R-Del.) was the person who first created and introduced legislation for the state quarters. No doubt he's pleased with their popularity and success. Because of them, more kids have collected coins than since the 1940s or '50s. I suppose that's why he thought, "Why let it end here?"

Once the last of the 50 state quarters and the five subsequent additional coins are issued, he just may have made it possible for it to start all over again. This time, it won't be with the individual states but the abundant national parks dotted throughout the country. That's exactly what Castle proposed in a bill to Congress this summer. Evidently, either Castle is a really popular guy, or his idea is flawless because the Congressional vote approving the measure was 419 to 0. I don't know how many pieces of legislation pass unanimously, but there can't be many.

The bill now goes to the Senate. If they don't find a hidden problem, we can expect the new series of quarters to begin in 2010 and run for 11 years. (I suspect longer in that additional national parks will be surely be created before the series ends in 2021.)

So, if all goes according to plan, which national park might be featured first? Yellowstone would be a natural being the nation's first national park followed by Sequoia and Yosemite. But, wait.

In 2005, the Oregon state quarter featured an image of Crater Lake — also a National Park. In a sense I suppose, the series has already begun.

Frankly, none of that matters. Castle had a good idea featuring the states on quarters and continues to with the national parks. It's both educational (quick … can you name 10 or more national parks?) and invariably will be attractive.

The alternative is reverting back to the eagle — a noble icon, but one that's been on quarters since the coin's inception in 1796. After 200 years of the same thing, I, for one, look forward to letting more new designs on the quarter fly for a while.

Editor's Note: A JPEG visual of the 2005 Oregon state quarter featuring Crater Lake National Park has been sent with this column.

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

COPYRIGHT 2007 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.