  In this paper we introduce a new invariant of virtual knots and links that is
non-trivial for infinitely many virtuals, but is trivial on classical knots and
links. The invariant is initially be expressed in terms of a relative of the
bracket polynomial and then extracted from this polynomial in terms of its
exponents, particularly for the case of knots. This analog of the bracket
polynomial will be denoted {K} (with curly brackets) and called the binary
bracket polynomial. The key to the combinatorics of the invariant is an
interpretation of the state sum in terms of 2-colorings of the associated
diagrams. For virtual knots, the new invariant, J(K), is a restriction of the
writhe to the odd crossings of the diagram (A crossing is odd if it links an
odd number of crossings in the Gauss code of the knot. The set of odd crossings
is empty for a classical knot.) For K a virtual knot, J(K) non-zero implies
that K is non-trivial, non-classical and inequivalent to its planar mirror
image. The paper also condsiders generalizations of the two-fold coloring of
the states of the binary bracket to cases of three and more colors.
Relationships with graph coloring and the Four Color Theorem are discussed.
