How To Get Halves And $2 Bills In Wide Circulation Again

If a half dollar is to be widely circulated, it needs to be reduced in diameter and weight.
I think that most Americans love their Quarters, and they are going to stay.

The One Cent need to go. How many Americans offer them in transactions to buy anything, rather than just accept them in change? To me, State tax laws seem to be the only reason for it's continued issue.

A more rational approach would be to rationalise State tax laws for round up or down to the nearest five cents.
The Brits, Kiwis Canadians and Aussies have done that.

I personally think that an American Two Dollar coin would be a good idea but nevertheless, I also think that most Americans would laugh at that proposal. My thinking for this is to eliminate the One Dollar note, and get those One Dollar coins circulating. Canadians have Twonies. Aussies have widely circulating Two Dollar coins, although I think their small size is a bit stupid. The Brits have their Two pound coins.

I think the half is a lost cause but the $2 would come back in a big way if they eliminate the dollar note.



But even then it is only to give you back change from the odd cents. With rounding the actual tax collected would not change. Sometime you would pay Two Cents more sometimes Two Cents less and over time it evens out. No tax laws would have to be altered. Right now they are rounding the sales tax. You tax doesn't come out to the even cent it gets rounded up or down by a fraction of a cent each time and over time that evens out. It is really no different.

Agreed!

As a coin collector, I want to see them continue minting cents and nickels (you still find some old ones out there in roll searches) but as a matter of practicality I'm not sure we need either coin, as that the dime is now the new penny. Circulating coins could replace the $1, the $2, the $5 and the $10 (I'd want the latter two to be made out of silver) but as a Where's George enthusiast I don't want the $1 to be discontinued either.

(aside: the only re-design of the two should be to bring back the Monticello on the reverse)

This is an easy question to answer. I'm just tired of seeing the same old denominations in circulation, and would like to see something new. Sure after about a couple of decades of a successfully circulating half and $2 bill, when I'd get a half in change, I might think "Oh, a half in change. Big whoop" or if I got a $2 bill in change "Ooh, a $2 bill. Big deal." But I would not get bored with these new denominations in circulation for quite some time. Especially if they were constantly redesigning them, like they are doing with other denominations of coins and bills (Wouldn't mind the dollar coin or a $2 coin either)




Yes, I do have a love for these denominations, as well as a (smaller, but it is there) love for the dollar coin. I also believe that a smaller, and different shaped and colored half would make it easier for people to carry less heavy change especially when or if we had dollar and $2 coins issued, so that we could still avoid holding so many quarters. It would also save the government tax dollars on minting less quarter if we used halves, and save money on printing less $1 bills if we had $2 bills, or save money on minting less dollar coins if we used $2 bills, or save money on both, minting $1 and $2 coins if we used $1 and $2 coins, because coins last longer, and again, minting and using $2 coins would save money on minting less $1 coins. And I do believe with more denominations giving people the ability to carry less coins and/or bills would help a lot of people out. (One half instead of two quarters, one $2 bill (or coin) instead of two $1 bills (or coins) two $2 bills (or coins) instead of four $1 bills (or coins) You get the picture.




I would agree with this, but I'd have to say that, I'd want a colorized, redesigned "big head" Thomas Jefferson portrait on the front, and more simplified boarders around both, Jefferson and the Monticello and a large low-vision numeral in the bottom right corner of the reverse, to make the $2 bill look like it belongs in the same family of notes as the $5-$100 bills.

Im actually opposed to this the more I've thought about it. One of the biggest things that changed my mind was charities. They get A LOT of money every year from people dumping pennies or throwing there change into a charity box. Someone said a Denver mint tour said charities get about 2 billion a year redeeming pennies from penny dirves and boxes ect. Even if they only get 5 percent of that supposed amount that is a lot of money to charity. If theres no more pennies that money would without a doubt dry up. People wont be throwing nickels or dimes in there like theyre nothing.

It would be interesting to see some figures a few years after we finally drop the cent. My bet would be that charities will actually see an increase in the amount coming in. Right now they get a lot of cents, but most people who throw change into those charity buckets toss in a few coins, several of the cents. Now they will still be tossing in a few coins but all five cents or larger.

Basebal21-
I never even thought about the charities getting all those "unwanted" pennies.. That's a VERY good point! And I agree with you 100%, and have just changed my stance on getting rid of the cent to keeping it..

Fox-
I can understand what your saying, and how you are getting bored with these denominations your seeing daily for your whole life. As well as how it would save the gooberment money...

But this would be a large feat to accomplish, many people don't like change at all, I know more than a few people who refuse to use change, they just throw it in buckets and make their significant other bring it to the bank when full. Being a guy, personally I would HATE the idea of a $2, $5 and/or $10 coin instead of bills (even the $1 coin with no $1 bill), even if it did save the gooberment money, I think it would be just awful having a pocket full of change as the coins wouldn't fit in my wallet too well.. lol.. unless men start carrying purses as well...

And unfortunately many people would be too dumb to understand the new coins. I mean look at the sac's and pres dollars... Some people in this country don't even know what they are (I've been refused on more than one occasion trying to pay with them (until I explained it and showed them online)... Let alone if we switch out the shapes, sizes and denominations of other coins as well. The system we have has been around a long time, people are used to it.. And I believe the coins are still in grade school textbooks to teach both counting/adding and money so those would all have to be re-written... As well as a bunch of other stuff.

Overall it just seems like a huge ordeal to switch it over, and most people don't like change... I could see the point I these denominations were completely obsolete but honestly I still use quarters and $1's daily.. Or almost at least. I guess for us collectors a change would be great, I just don't see the general population liking it... But idk, I could be wrong..

I am with Basebal. There is no need to get rid of the cent. If you did, people might stop giving to the charities instead of just throwing in larger denominations. Also, for a roll hunter like myself it would be a nightmare, because I enjoy doing pennies. Pennies are good, because you can get the coins you keep for 1 cent where as the next cheapest denomination would be 5 times that.