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 Replies: 18 / Views: 18,523 |
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Valued Member
United States
51 Posts |
Do any of you spend half's or $1 coins anymore. What is a common reaction? I love coinage and love to use it. All to often I get strange reactions when I hand over a Kennedy or a pres dollar. Its like kids never seen a half and always think its fake. I've had to speak to a manager more then once  "we don't accept these". Or better yet a $2 dollar bill. |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
Visited the 'States a couple of years ago. 50 cents coins are in common circulation in Oz, so my mentality was to spend Kennedy halves as any other normal coin, whenever I could get them, that is! The Australian 50 cents weighs 14.10 grams. Australia has gold coloured Dollars as well, and they are in VERY common circulation, so what's the hassle? My mentality does not allow me to understand why Americans hesitate to using these coins of very great convenience. I have a great interest in U.S. coinage. The U.S. part of my collection is much larger than the Australian part of my collection. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
997 Posts |
The half dollar has been a mystery coin both in Canada and the USA for years. I have never seen a Canadian half in circulation when I have been there, and the US half is so rare that they are usually tossed in the junk bin at stores along with foreign coins and slugs to go to the bank for disposal.
Dollar coins are pretty much the same way in the USA, no one wants them and I get quizzical looks when I spend them. I have been told "We don't take these" a couple of times, I just turned around and left the clerk with them. It would be fun if they called the police on me...
Canada however has embraced the dollar coin and more recently the 2 Dollar coin. They eliminated the Dollar and 2 Dollar bills to force the issue. It worked and they are commonly used.
If the USA eliminated the paper Dollar bills then the dollar coin would circulate. I think a 2 Dollar coin like Canada's would work as well. (The 2 Dollar bill here is like the half dollar here, no one uses them and they are mostly made for collectors.)
The Australia large coins are fascinating, I have a few from friends that have traveled there and hope to get there one day.
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Valued Member
United States
315 Posts |
The carnival around here uses $1 coins instead of tokens, so we often use susan b's. I haven't seen any of the newer ones.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4901 Posts |
I will defer to Fox on this one....
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Valued Member
 United States
51 Posts |
I had a store clerk tell me my Susan B Anthony dolllars were "foreign counterfits" she refused them. Had to go get her husband.
I would really like to see more coinage used
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Maybe sometime in the future people would accept those baby sized dollar coins but for now they are not the thing. People just don't use them. At several banks I go to, I'm told no one wants them. No one asks for them and if a teller suggests taking any, people just say no thanks. I've had my problems trying to spend baby dollar coins and just don't think it's worth my time to try to educate people that they are real. $2 bills get a similar result. People just don't like those, don't know what they are, don't really care for them. Many stores don't like to find a place in a cash register for an odd ball item. Train conductors by me on commuter lines have coin changers and none are set up for baby sized dollars. I keep far away from those. Just something wrong about a coin almost the same size as a Quarter.
Now half dollars are different. I ask for them at banks and every once in a while get some. Spending them is fun. So many people say WOW, do you have more? Or this is great, I like those. Never had anyone say anything bad about a half Dollar coin yet.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
979 Posts |
They can refuse a sale, but not legal tender.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2850 Posts |
I spend them and get mixed reactions. Some go ask the manager if they take them and others are curious and intrigued by what they are. I don't mind the weird looks and questions I get.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
979 Posts |
Actually, I do it when I'm in the mood to make weird situations that, lol
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4588 Posts |
Quote:
They can refuse a sale, but not legal tender. It's not quite that simple. While it's legal to tender it, there's no requirement that they accept it. http://www.treasury.gov/resource-ce...-tender.aspxQuote:I thought that United States currency was legal tender for all debts. Some businesses or governmental agencies say that they will only accept checks, money orders or credit cards as payment, and others will only accept currency notes in denominations of $20 or smaller. Isn't this illegal? The pertinent portion of law that applies to your question is the Coinage Act of 1965, specifically Section 31 U.S.C. 5103, entitled "Legal tender," which states: " United States coins and currency (including Federal reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal reserve banks and national banks) are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues." This statute means that all United States money as identified above are a valid and legal offer of payment for debts when tendered to a creditor. There is, however, no Federal statute mandating that a private business, a person or an organization must accept currency or coins as for payment for goods and/or services. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless there is a State law which says otherwise. For example, a bus line may prohibit payment of fares in pennies or dollar bills. In addition, movie theaters, convenience stores and gas stations may refuse to accept large denomination currency (usually notes above $20) as a matter of policy. Upheld many times in law, for example NYC busses are not required to accept dollar bills, e.g. http://www.leagle.com/decision/1988...sc2d369_1444-----Burton 50+ year / Life / Emeritus ANA member (joined 12/1/1973) Life member: Numismatics International, CONECA Member: TNA, FtWCC, NETCC, EveryCountry (online) coin club Owned by three cats and a wife of 40+ years (joined 1983) Author: 3rd Edition of the Sample Slabs book, https://www.sampleslabs.info/ |
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Valued Member
United States
388 Posts |
I went to buy some things with $10.50 in halves, the guy behind me stopped me before I payed and asked me if I wanted to trade them to him. Then to my surprise, the cashier piped up and said, No, they're mine. Needless to say, I piad the cashier and left the 2 to duke it out. I'm sure the cashier won!! lol  |
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Rest in Peace
United States
3039 Posts |
I agree with Pipewelder. I've had very puzzled looks when spending Kennedy halves, including the "I'd better get the manager." bit. How sadly uninformed today's youth is on coinage history. As far as prexies, I've never held a modern one in my hand. Only Suzies or Ikes. Edited by numismo
10/06/2013 2:29 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
979 Posts |
BStrauss3, thanks for that link!!
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2805 Posts |
In Canada, people obviously accept dollar coins, but halves are fun to spend.
Most people happily accept them, maybe because the Queen on the back automatically makes it a familiar coin.
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Valued Member
United States
317 Posts |
I haven't received a half dollar in my change in something like 15+ years. I can only remember seeing them being actively used in casinos years ago but a lot of the casinos switched to electronic cards, but I don't know about the table games though.
The dollar coins, I've seen them used less than a hand full of times the last few years and mainly from when the Sacagawea was introduced. But I haven't seen or heard of them used in awhile.
I get these coins in my silver proof sets from the mint and that's it. Nicely designed coins especially the Sacagawea's with the new reverses, shame the mint waited so long to change em up.
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Replies: 18 / Views: 18,523 |
Posted 10/06/2013 07:24 am
