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 Replies: 85 / Views: 3,789 |
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Moderator
 United States
196088 Posts |
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I sure wouldn't have a problem with that on the larger machines. Indeed.  On second thought, it is probably easier for the industry to convert them to accept electronic payment, if they have not already.  I really have no idea. The only laundromat I have seen recently is the one in my son's dorm and those machines are free to use. And by free, I am sure it is included in the housing fee, which is so high I believe that is the least they could do.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
641 Posts |
I haven't set foot in a laundramat in decades.
But, I would think that by now, even the smallest machines would cost over a $1 to run. I think the regular machines were already $1.25 by the late 1980s.
I would also expect them to commonly accept plastic, by now.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20048 Posts |
Stop the production of ALL circulating coinage, fully close all the branch mints and convert Philly into a collector only producer (and have the BEP take-up the unneeded space occupied by dead machines). Round all CASH transactions to the nearest $1 and keep electronic payments to the cent.
Our government has inflated our currency into dust and they're not stopping. Coins are becoming inconvenient, worthless slugs of metal in commerce. We spend hundreds of billions $$$ a year handling, producing and transporting heavy, metal slugs of little value. There are thousands of diesel spewing semi's and Brinks trucks carting around slugs of metal - every single day 24/7/365 scattered across America. Add to that all the human hours spent dealing and handling coins - they no longer make economic or common sense.
Edited by BadThad
09/30/2026 8:14 pm
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Moderator
United States
196088 Posts |
Quote:
Stop the production of ALL circulating coinage, fully close all the branch mints and convert Philly into a collector only producer (and have the BEP take-up the unneeded space occupied by dead machines). Round all CASH transactions to the nearest $1 and keep electronic payments to the cent. That is a bold idea!  Ten years ago I would have died on that hill, but today, meh.  Do it!  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20048 Posts |
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Ten years ago I would have died on that hill, but today, meh. Yeah, me too! Inflation has ruined coinage. I can't even bribe my grandkids with any less than $1. |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1909 Posts |
These notions would ruin coin collecting as we know it. No more kids searching their allowance and mom's grocery change and buying Whitman folders to hold their cherished treasures. No more coin roll hunting for that odd silver quarter or half that still shows up. Coin shows would fade away. Same with your favorite local shop. Grey sheet would become obsolete, and Red Books would be nostalgic relics of a bygone era. Old collections would be dumped on ebay for bullion value. The only survivors of this numismatic apocalypse would be those few who prefer foreign coins to the boring and overpriced disgorgements of the U.S. mint. I hope this day never comes, but I feel like I am whistling into a gale.       |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
857 Posts |
A zinc 5¢ coin is a disgraceful, even degrading expedient. What the times call for is a coinage reform. When the clad quarter was introduced, its buying power was arguably considerably greater than a $1 coin today. When the nickel 5-cent coin was introduced, its buying power was considerably greater than that, in terms of those purchases which were relevant then and are still relevant today. We should be re-introducing the eagle series of denominations : a half-eagle comparable to the current Swiss 5 fr or Japanese ¥500 coins, an eagle with buying power still less than what the ¥500 was when it was introduced, and a double-eagle to gradually take the place of the heavily-used $20 paper denomination. On the low end, eliminate the cent denomination. If we need something with a value of 5¢, a " Half Dime" of about 16 mm diameter, like the 1950-69 Mexican 1¢ ; dime in the same alloy, with the same design, but twice the weight ; double-dime and half-dollar of a different alloy, again with the same design and proportional to each other in weight ; dollar and double-dollar, in a clad material and polygonal (13 facets for the dollar, maybe 15 or 17 for the double-dollar) ; and leave their designs fixed for at least a decade, if not the traditional 50 years. If we must have circulating commemoratives with designs changing every year, put them on the eagle-denominated coins. Edited by publius
Today 2M ago
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New Member
United States
40 Posts |
I think Thad has overestimated to a great degree the amount of inflation the USD has undergone. Yes inflation is high, but short of any financial catastrophe we aren't going to see Venezuelan-tier hyperinflation, at least not in our lifetimes. 1 USD is not an insignificant amount of money, and despite the rise in cashless payments people still use coins all the time, and they aren't going to stop anytime soon, even if Thad thinks that people find coins to be inconvenient, but also at the same time thinks that everyone in the country has an entire pound of coins sitting in the ashtray of their car.
The money spent on production, handling, and shipment of coins is negligible. Millions and millions of dollars is a lot of money to one person, but on the scale of the government its not even a drop in the bucket. Add that to all the profit the US mint pulls in selling bullion and "collectors" pieces, and it seems even less significant.
And if the Philadelphia mint switched to "collectors only" production, what would set it apart from the other gaudy and overpriced junk they sell at places like the franklin mint?
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Moderator
United States
196088 Posts |
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I can't even bribe my grandkids with any less than $1. |
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Moderator
United States
196088 Posts |
Quote:
These notions would ruin coin collecting as we know it. Maybe we need to scrap the paper $1s, $2s, $5s and replace them with coins. |
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Replies: 85 / Views: 3,789 |
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Posted 09/30/2026 8:07 pm
