Tip Jar... What Would You Do?

I agree with the group, that this was stealing.

You have no way of knowing what the lady would do with the dime, unless you ask.

I help out at two local coin shops, there are people who work ...cash register jobs, that come in all time, selling the silver coins they a get in change.

Delving a little deeper into ethical gray areas with a variation of this post...

What if you see a valuable coin in a tip jar, ask the random waitstaff if you can have it/buy it, and that person says yes? Tip jars contents are usually shared among staff, right? So that one person doesn't really have the authority to make the decision for the other 'owners' of the tip jar, regardless of whether the person will give/sell it to you.

Thisisfun its generally understood with tip jars that you don't need communial approval to do something with it as long as the money count stays the same. One person can make change or swap out smaller bills for larger bills, swap change for bills ect. The only time that's no okay is if the people working don't trust someone or each other.

One rule I learned at an early age is that it is not my place to judge anyone. I find it interesting that in the OP poll he wasn't asking what we thought of him taking the Mercury dime but rather what would we do.

Yet, in a large part of the responses here I see folks judging his actions as thievery, immoral, unjust....

I sincerely hope that because we all live in glass houses nobody throws rocks at your place. It's so easy sitting behind these keyboards to throw barbs out without thinking first.

To the original poster, I sincerely don't know what I would do as I haven't been in that situation. I guess I won't know how I will act until that time comes. As far as your decision, only you can answer that and as far as the opinions of those who responded here, I would just put it on ignore and maybe next time post this type of question theoretically as opposed to something that actually occurred.

Good Luck to you and peace to all..

OUCH.
I cant believe this sort of comment isn't prohibited on here.

Staff Note: It has been removed.

I'm enjoying this thread almost as much as "Coins in the Fountain."
If swapping coins out of a tip jar was my greatest crime in life, I would be able to hold myself in much higher esteem.
Though I don't go to many places where there is a tip jar, many establishments have "penny cups" and "donation containers."
And, as I regularly encounter this situation, I have developed a MO.
At this point you have to decide in which camp you reside. Some folks think that knowledge is an advantage you can use for your own personal gain. (Win/Lose) I was taught that knowledge shared benefited all parties. (Win/Win) As a rising tide raises all boats.
The quick, and usually first, encounter is simply, "Hey Lady, I'll give you a buck for that dime." If I am in a hurry, and the cashier is absent, I have to decide if the coin is worth it the wait.
But as my routine is predictable, and I frequent the same establishments, I take time to get to know the cashiers. And educate them in advance. Many mornings the line is long, and the girls are busy, and I don't want to hold up the parade, so I have to wait for the day when I can take some of their valuable time.
When appropriate, I let them know that I am interested in some of the collectables that may pass through their hands, and equally willing to reward them for their efforts. Connect with the person and make a friend. My left pocket has teaching aids â€" Wheat penny, silver dime, War Nickel, silver certificate.
For example, when I take 10 dimes from my change jar in the truck, and insert a pre-65 dime, arrange the coins as if in a roll, and ask the cashier to pick out the odd coin, they not only correctly choose the silver dime, but have fun playing the game. If they can endure a brief explanation and history lesson, I'll give them the silver dime.
Ditto for the other examples of cashier's likely finds.
With knowledge and example in hand, the hunt is on. Success is only a matter of time.
If you think that cashier may be a greedy, self-centered person that wants to keep all the proceeds for her self, and cut you entirely out of the loop, simply make her an offer.
"I'll give you a dollar for that dime, or you can use up your lunch hour, spend $2 in gas, drive across town to the coin shop, and sell it for $1.65."
But more often than not, people want you to be the broker and gladly accept a $1 for a dime.
It gets better...
Although everyone here is a coin nut, others could care less, and the specified denomination makes it fungible.
Stop at your local rock shop and discover how many delightful stones and crystals can be purchased for less than a dollar. Put a bunch in a little leather pouch for your right pocket. Every time the ladies offer me an unusual coin, I let them pick out a twenty five cent stone.
On one hand, they may be taking advantage of me, as every one seems to have a small child at home that delights in a shiny Tiger's Eye. A reward for a wheatie. But then again...
I've been offered (by the informed,) wheaties for 2 cents, silver dimes for 50 cents, many coins for face value, and even a 1928 Red Seal $2 bill for $2.
If I only break even, I've had the opportunity to connect with lots of fun people. And maybe made a collector out of a few.

KisNap....
Go back and meet the meet the person. She may prove to be no one of interest. Or, a great addition to your life. What a great conversation starter.
And keep us posted.

I think you did the right thing. I would have taken the dime and left anything higher in face value since most people don't know what a Mercury dime is worth. Call me cheap, but I would have left a quarter :-) Sorry for being a capitalist!

Going against the general consensus here. I think you all are applying moral standards here to something that does not require them. The OP replaced the dime with more money. Not stealing and not a big deal.

To compare that to someone taking an entire collection and replacing it with slightly more than face is a ridiculous apples and oranges comparison. A Merc sitting in a tip jar is NOT the same thing and is really a stretch to say the least.

Then to attack the OP in this manner is reprehensible in my opinion. Granted, the OP opened themselves up for it, but to talk to this person as if they had kicked in someones door, beat an old lady up and taken her property is well over the top. Rocks and glass houses folks.

And honestly, I can not believe this has not been locked.