A Junk Ike Is Worth More Than A Buck

Devils advocate. The server made a choice. The OP did NOT say these are worth the same as the bills. He simply presented a choice, and the server took the Ikes. That person made that choice for one reason. They felt that they were getting the same value. No one forced them or tricked them. If they felt that they were coming out far ahead without actually knowing what they were accepting, that is THEIR fault. Honestly, if you are given a choice of 4 dollar bills or two dollar coins and you have no earthly clue if those coins are any more valuable than face, and you take the coins? You deserve what you get. Personal responsibility for your choices.

Now, had the OP lied and said these coins are easily worth twice face, THEN he would deserve all of the hate being vented at him.

I have an idea here, give them 3 options, if the tip is supposed to be $2.00 set down 2 notes, one Junk Ike and five 1940-50's wheat pennies with a Buffalo nickel that the date has worn off of.

Explain that there is no collector value for any of the options and then spell out the face value of each option.

$2.00 is what you are owed.
$1.00 for a novelty coin that was never very popular
-or-
$0.10 for old common and unknown dates on small change.

If they take the pennies and nickel then it's 95% profit for you
Imagine a $20.00 tip reduced to ONE DOLLAR, a stack of buff's with no dates and a handful of wheat ears

I often tip with the small dollar coins at face value, but with a new waiter or waitress I try to make sure the first time that they know the coins are not quarters!

It's a hard choice though, because obviously their income is not great (at least not at the cheap joints we frequent!) and I get the impression the odd coins sometimes get saved instead of spent, so it's important to try to gauge how the coins are accepted. When they get a kick out of it, we repeat the same next time, and with others we might switch to paper money.

I've learned that some of our wait persons are coin collectors, or know someone who collects, so I try to have current dollar coins for them, even though they now have to be bought at above face value. I'm 71 years old now, but when I was young I was in their place, and it's important to remember what it was like, and how important the tips were.

That reminds me, there's probably still a few Sacagawea rolls around here, bought when it was possible to get 500 coins at face value and free delivery. We go out to dine at least once every week, so there was no worries about being able to spend the bulk of them.

-Duncan

Another endless thread. I'm sure the OP never intended to be discussing the morality of the issue. I believe his intent was innocent and possibly not well thought out. For crying out loud people, he didn't trip a grandma as she was trying to cross the street or punch a baby in the face. I wouldn't necessarily do what he did, but let's try and keep a little perspective.

P.S. I drove 65 mph in a 55 mph zone today. I coulda killed a child. Therefore I'm an immoral human being.