Eisenhower Dollars And More

I wonder what makes the mint think that people will accept these dollar coins when they refuse to remove the paper notes? What will the mint do with the billions of these dollar coins sitting in government vaults?

If we look at the countries who have discontinued their smallest coin denominations, as our friends to our immediate North have done, you will notice that there is virtually no complaint from anyone. Especially when those coins cost more to produce than their face value. Perhaps a few miners who produce those metals, might be unhappy, but I'd guess those are the only people who would be concerned in the least.

However, for those countries who have discontinued their smallest currency denomination, it is not always true that the coins made to replace them have seen much circulation.

Regardless of the type (with the possible exception of early examples such as Seated and Bust), the dollar has never circulated well in the United States. Most of the Morgans sat in vaults forever. Peace dollars were a neat present for a grandchild. Ike dollars were saved by the insane (no offense to you, JBuck), although they almost never circulated. Then our line of "new" small dollars that just sit in vaults somewhere and cant be destroyed as it would mess up the accounts big time to melt $100,000,000,000 in coins for a metal value of 12 cents (a SLIGHT exaggeration).

Even if the dollar bill is FINALLY discontinued, I'm somewhat doubtful of the number of the "new" dollar coins, stuck in some vault, that would make it to the street.

Spend a little time at your favorite convenience store some time and see how many people pay with cash in a place that would certainly seem to be a location where it would be spent.

Not many.

I knew my comment about the Ike's would get you out of the weeds

Thanks for the clarification Conder about the Walmart plan only being one month.

Interesting - one Walmart could not get enough and the one I was near was stuck with them

Also I mean to correct an error - when I made the statement of Walmart being stuck with the coins my words were:



I did not mean Walmart ever did a distribution of the SBAs although the wording sounds like that. I meant that I remember seeing SBAs sitting in side trays of cashiers all over and no one wanted them.

I was told that at least the government found a good use for them eventually - Baltimore subway tokens.

I have a feeling (and mind because of the wasted lack of forsight/cost in making them in the first place) that the Presidential dollar coins in storage will someday just become a good source of srap metal for some other government project. Except for people on this forum, I have not found anyone who likes them or wants to use them.


I think it is too late for the dollar coins. Canada did it (not with citizen approval for the most part as testified in other threads on this subject) back when their dollar still could buy a decent amount. And, then again, for some odd reason Canadians always used 2.00 bills as readily as 1.00 bills - so it seems they are a bit more open to variety.

As to getting rid of the penny - the Canadian cent was missed by many ( threads available + the commemorative coins made about the penny), but I think more for nostalgia and sentiment. We do have a thread of "rounding stories" (or some such wording) on the Canadian forum here. And really, if you think our cent is worthless - remember the Canadian one is typically worth about 20-25% less than a US cent.

I don't like the idea of dumping the US cent - but not for any logical reason at all. It should be done.

So would all gas stations, instead of having prices per gallon such as $2.10 choose to go down to $2.05 or up to $2.15? I think I know.

Hmmm. PA state tax... would it go from .06 on a dollar down to a nickel, or up to .10 per dollar spent? I think I can answer that one also.

You know one thing about money in the 21st Century is that my money including coins hit the bank electronically. My bills are paid via internet or electronic debit. I never even see coins or bills unless I just get out a few hundred bucks to just line my wallet so I feel like I have "Walking Around Money". Actual physical money is going the way of the Dodo bird.

This is true. We may not live to see it, but cash will likely be gone in the next generation or two.


Possible, but not always. I have had stores close on me when that happened.

Really? Other than the US where has it failed?



They would probably still continue to price it to the cent and then round the final purchase figure to the nearest five cents.



No reason for it to change at all.

I pay my bill in full every month.