Dollar Coins Unpopular?

The biggest reason is just that the dollar is still there. As long as they make the dollar the coin will not take off. If they got rid of the dollar the coin would work.

The banks have to issue them and they first have to order them.

They do neither.

Speaking as someone who works in retail . . .


I agree with everyone here, and would like to add "lack of education" to the list. I make an effort to hand out dollar coins whenever they pop up in my register, and the most common response I get is a confused "oh, what's this?" This goes for all kinds of dollar coins: in the 13 months I've worked this job I've gotten Ikes, Sacs, Prez dollars, SABs, and one cashier at another store even took in a Morgan dollar (we promptly rescued the poor thing out of her drawer). Many people simply do not know that dollar coins exist. My standard explanation is this: "That is a one-dollar [Presidential, Eisenhower] coin [that honors Susan B. Anthony/Sacagawea]. They're really convenient, I love them!" The response I usually get to this is either "ooh, cool/neat/interesting!" or "Oh, my daughter/son/grandchild will LOVE this!"


I think people would be more amenable to the change if they knew more about it.

Four coin slots: nickels, dimes, quarters, dollars
Four bill slots: twos, fives, tens, twenties.

and the problem is?

It's a bottom up problem with a top down solution.

Merchants don't use them because banks make it a hassle.

Banks don't get them because they're stuck in their ways.

Solution:

When banks order ones, send them coins.

With only coins, banks give them to merchants.

Fact: Mal-Wart went through 100 million brass bucks in about a week. You'd think that would demonstrate how the public didn't like them.

I like the dollar coins.I know that the vending machines give them out instead of bills

I think dollar coins made more sense back when everybody, including men, carried around coin purses. Once men abandoned coin purses and started using wallets exclusively, it's just much more convenient to carry around bills instead of coins, at least for larger denominations.

Best reason so far.
In the past I've had coins wear holes in pants pockets and fall out all over the place. So now hate to carry excessive coins.
On commuter trains by me the conductors use those coin changers on their belts. No place for those baby dollars. So they ask people not to try using them.
At a restaurant I left some as a tip. The waitress yelled at me as I left saying "Sir, you left some of your kids play money on the table". One reason I don't use them now.
If you do use a lot of single currency, the same amount of baby sized dollars is just way to much to carry.
Still many vending machines will not take them and many of the smaller vending machine company owners don't want to spend money converting.
To easy to mistake them for Quarters. Yes they are different colored but in the dark, a barr or tavern, not the best thing to use or get in change.
And sort of late to start something new. As more and more people go to plastic credit and debit cards, all forms of cash will soon enough be a thing of the past.