Tried A Half In A New Vending Machine At My Local Walmart

I've never seen one, but I'm in Idaho. Should be seeing them by 2016.

I fixed it for you.

The half dollars have technically been phased out, being NIFC since 2002.

The one dollar note should be eliminated in favour of the more cost effective one dollar coin.

I use $2 bills. You just have to ask for them at the bank. They don't normally hand them out without asking because people don't use them.

Collectors buy them in mint sets, proof sets, they get put in random other sets, bags rolls ect. They all sell for over face value, and their cost to make is less than their face value. Dollar coins didnt lose tax dollars either, they made money because their cost of production was lower than face value.

As long as they sell enough to recoup production costs they can justify keeping them going. With all things considered I would be shocked if they werent making money on them.

But I do agree, the half is dead for circulation and isn't coming back.

Minting the NIFC half dollar does not waste tax dollars. Instead, it earns a lot of money.

Actually, with the exception of the cent and nickels minted for circulation (which need to be eliminated yesterday), everything the mint produces earns the US Government a profit.

Foxwoods Man,

Gee, if the half is so "dead" as far as circulation goes, then why did the people at most (all?) Walmart stores have their self checkout machines configured to accept halves? If halves were "dead to circulation" and are noy coming back, then, why waste the time to add that feature to the machines? If what you (and every one else who says the half is dead)are right in your words, the Walmart stores might as well have had an Ike dollar Coin tube put in the machines to accept Ikes as well. But they didn't, because the Ike is an "obsolete" coin. The Kennedy half is NOT. Just read the subject line of this forum "Mondern U.S. Coins" It lists both Kennedy AND Franklin halves as "current denominations" It of course, also lists the obsolete Ike and Susan B. Anthony dollar Coins as current coinage, but those, ALONG with Franklin halves are obsolete, and would be more likely hoarded than spent. Especilly the coins with silver in them, such as the Franklin halves and 1964-1970 Kennedy halves. Copper clad Kennedy halves are a current, circulating denomination, even though they are not minted for circulation anymore. They are only not being minted for circulation now, because they currently have enough halves to supply the current demand right now. One person, whose name escapes me at the moment, even went so far as to say that "Halves circulate MORE than $2 bills, because more people think $2 bills are fake, than they do, halves"

Fox, it seems like the whole of your thesis is that because Wal-mart thinks halves are still in circulation, they are still in circulation. Not a very strong argument... the bottom line is I think everyone can agree that with a few rare exceptions, you just don't see them being actively used in commerce anymore.

I remember a change machine when I was attending a technical school back in the 1980's that took half dollars. I still use the Kennedy's, Dollar coins of all types and Two Dollar Bills whenever I can get my hands on them from the bank. They are usually glad to get rid of them.