Mint-condition Elvis

Memphis, Tenn. Elvis Presley Enterprises has licensed a company to replace George Washington on some of Tennessee’s 2002 quarters with a color illustration of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

The coins, souvenirs honoring Presley on the 25th anniversary of his death, went into production this month through the International Collector’s Society. The process fuses a color portrait of Elvis over Washington’s face.

Pete Davidson, EPE’ senior licensing manager, said the British colony of Gibraltar mints Elvis coins as part of its currency, but the refaced quarter is the only option in U.S. currency.

Secret Service Agent Tim Viertel said defacing U.S. currency is a misdemeanor crime but the Elvis quarters are in a gray area because they are not part of a deceptive scheme.

“I don’t know of a U.S. attorney’s office around who would prosecute it,” Viertel said.

‘Roadshow’ questions licensing

Springfield, Mass. The man who owns the U.S. rights to the “Antiques Roadshow” program has sued Boston’s public television station for $130,000, claiming the station failed to comply with their licensing agreement.

Daniel M. Farrell says WGBH won’t let him audit its records, according to a lawsuit filed in Hampden Superior Court. He wants a court order to force the station to give him an accounting of its ancillary revenues from the show.

WGBH generates money from sales of “Antiques Roadshow” products, including a board game, books and calendars.

Judy Matthews, a senior publicist for “Antiques Roadshow” in Boston, refused to comment.

The show, which features members of the public getting free appraisals for their antiques and heirlooms, has about 16 million regular viewers, according to court documents, and is the most popular prime-time show on PBS.

The singing attorney general

Charlotte, N.C. Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft observed the 10th anniversary of a local theological seminary Saturday night by singing a rousing rendition of “Let the Eagles Soar,” a gospel song with strong political overtones that he wrote several years ago.

Ashcroft, the son of a Pentecostal preacher, told 650 people at the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary dinner that he penned the gospel tune after watching a bald eagle fly overhead during a pre-dawn walk on his farm near Springfield, Mo.

“I was inspired by it and I thought it was a tremendous thing that eagles were coming back to America,” he said.

He performed the four-minute song accompanied by taped music.

“This country’s too young to die, it still has a lot of flying to do,” he sang in his baritone voice. “We’re far too young to die, Let the mighty eagles soar!”

The audience responded with a standing ovation.

When Ashcroft represented Missouri in the U.S. Senate, he performed in the Singing Senators with Trent Lott of Mississippi, Jim Jeffords of Vermont and Larry Craig of Idaho.