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 Replies: 29 / Views: 2,039 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6326 Posts |
I would think that the "public" would prefer NOT to have to carry around a large heavy coin around in their pocket or their purse......and I would think that, especially nowadays, they would just chuck them in a jar at home and NOT circulate them..... anything too far beyond the size and weight of a quarter wouldn't get circulated very much........(not been much "circulation" success with the SBA's, Sac's, or the Pres. dollar) Edited by eaglefoot
04/15/2008 11:20 am
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Valued Member
 United States
76 Posts |
I've noticed the cashier using the readout too, and still giving out the wrong change. Most young people that I know will not bend down to pick up a cent if they see one. On the other hand, as we continue to release the big, heavy, odd-ball coins, the occasional spark that they generate could develop into a numismatist.
Yes, they are heavy. Do you think they were held in the same regard in the old days? The silver dollars were even bigger, yet in the old westerns they were always pulling them out to buy stuff.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2602 Posts |
It was funny the other day at the gas station- I bought milk, paid with half dollars. It took her awhile to count the halves and then she looked at the register tape and couldn't figure out how much change to give me. I had by then already calculated it in my head and told her "32 cents back", but she didn't believe me. The half dollars got her all flustered I guess.
Maybe if half dollars were small coins that were less heavy, they would be more accepted?
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Valued Member
United States
76 Posts |
I don't know, mycrob. The sacs don't seem to have much circulation either.
Don't know why, but I was personally disappointed when they came out in the small size.
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Valued Member
United States
105 Posts |
I think what it comes down to is simplicity. Most people don't like clutter, especially in their pockets or purses. Its bad enough for some that there are 4 main different denominations of coins, to add half's and dollar coins is to some just a hassle. The average Joe would rather have a paper dollar than an Ike or SBA. same $$, much less weight. The same Joe would also rather have two quarters than one Kennedy. again, same $$ less weight. And as many here have pointed out. One reason why people don't want them is because they don't easily recognise them. Like the one guy above said that paying at the gas station totally confused the cashier. Especially sine some of the younger kids have never even seen an Ike, or Kennedy or SBA before. On a related subject. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Iks and SBA and Kennedy's are still Legal Tender? Can a store legally refuse to accept these coins as payment? Final Thought.. I know that sometimes we like to pick on young kids who seem ignorant. And believe me, sometimes they deserve it. But speaking as a guy who not to long ago was young with a crappy retail job, just let me say this. Remember, not all kids are bad kids, just unexpierenced. They are working for minimum wage or less, with no respect from uppermanagment. Some are just afraid to make a mistake and defer to their managers for help. In high school I worked at one of the junkiest stores in America, K-mart. After 3 years of working there with a perfect work and attendance record, my drawer was short $5.00. I was hauled into the managers office, screamed at, written up, and put on report. They even wanted me to sign the report like I was some kind of criminal signing a murder confession. Turns out that the head end supervisor had not given me enough dime rolls at the start of my shift. Needless to say, they didn't get my signature on the report, however they did get my signature on a resignation... Point of the story is, go easy on the kids, they might just be looking to not get fired that day... OK end of rant, putting away my soap box now...... |
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Valued Member
United States
76 Posts |
Thanks Dave.
It is true. I remember what it felt like to be run over the hot coals when I accidentally overcharged a customer the first time I ran a cash register.
There is more than one side to every coin.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2600 Posts |
The only good half is a silver one.  Jim |
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Valued Member
United States
172 Posts |
quote:
The same Joe would also rather have two quarters than one Kennedy. again, same $$ less weight.
On a related subject. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Iks and SBA and Kennedy's are still Legal Tender? Can a store legally refuse to accept these coins as payment?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't a half dollar weigh exactly the same as 2 quarters? And isn't the diameter of a half dollar exactly twice that of a quarter? Therefore, carrying x amount of half dollars should take up the same amount of volume and weigh the same as carrying around twice the amount of quarters. A store can refuse to accept any legal tender payment it wants to. No business or person is required to accept United States currency. They can do their business in Euros or chickens if they want to. They can decide not to accept $100 bills if they want to or $5 bills whose serial numbers end in a prime number. The reason why people don't use half dollars is because they were the last U.S. coin to contain silver and were hoarded. They were also hoarded in memory of John F. Kennedy. Businesses and banks stopped giving them out as change. If banks and business gave them out as regular change, then people would use them just as they use quarters and dimes. It's the same reason why people don't use $2 bills. It's not that they hate $2 bills, it's just that no one gives them out as change. Edited by hugemistake2003
04/15/2008 11:23 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6326 Posts |
Let's just get rid of ALL money .......paper ....coin......credit cards.....
and live as a "commune Nation" in Peace and Love !...
Edited by eaglefoot
04/15/2008 11:28 am
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Moderator
 United States
6563 Posts |
and there are still people that are superstitious about $2 bills. Some go as far as to rip off a corner when spending it or giving it away to not have bad luck
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
quote:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't a half dollar weigh exactly the same as 2 quarters? And isn't the diameter of a half dollar exactly twice that of a quarter?
A quarter is 24.3mm, 5.7g and a half dollar is 31mm, 11.3g I guess I am an oddball, but I like the jingle jangle in my pocket of a few dollars and half dollars. On the other hand, I hate having a big wad of $1 bills in my wallet as it makes it too fat and hurts my bum when it sit on it  Edited by biokemist6
04/15/2008 11:41 am
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Valued Member
United States
76 Posts |
When they start accepting chickens I will have to start guarding my flock. But at least I will have something to go to the store with.
Guess I never had enough bills in my wallet to hurt when I sit down! Will have to try that.
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Moderator
 United States
188560 Posts |
quote:
The reason why people don't use half dollars is because they were the last U.S. coin to contain silver and were hoarded.
Hugemistake beat me to the punch! I was thinking this the whole time I was reading through the thread... The Mint made a HUGE MISTAKE (sorry, could not resist) when they left silver in the Half Dollar while everything else went clad in 1965. People knew this and with silver still inching higher, a lot of people hoarded them. The shortage of halves meant the citizenry had to use two quarters, a concept that still works well today. It is a habit, but unlike the dollar bill, it could be easily broken. If the mint spent as much in advertising the still existing Half Dollar as they did on the Golden Dollar, people might actually start using them again! Just my $.50! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
666 Posts |
Here's my take on it.
In general I don't think the public really cares one way or the other. I think the novelty factor of receiving one in change is high enough to counterbalance any inconvenience they'll encounter when it comes time to spend it.
I think the biggest reason why halves and dollar coins for that matter have a hard time making it as a currency is that most cash registers have 5 coin compartments. There's a place for pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and everything else.
Everything else consists of halves, dollar coins, paperclips, tacks, etc... Were pennies to be taken out of circulation I think it's fairly likely that some other coin would have a place in circulation. Now whether that be halves or dollar coins, I don't know. With the way the mint and government has really been pushing the dollar coins I'd think that the dollar coins would probably win out and take over the newly freed up slot.
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Replies: 29 / Views: 2,039 |
First Page
Posted 04/15/2008 09:23 am
