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 Replies: 14 / Views: 2,546 |
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Valued Member
United States
337 Posts |
my mom worked at a bank up until a few months ago. The tellers would give her old bills at face value for me, but never came across old change. My mom went in the other day to do some banking and the main teller pulled a penny from the bottom of her tray and told my mom she could have it for 10 bucks. It was a 1901 Indian Head cent. My mom told her she was crazy, then came home and asked me. I said it was too much and she made the right call, she knows nothing about coins except that I collect them. My mom then said the teller could lose her job for doing that if she turned her in. Some friend, trying to make a quick buck. She must be one of the people who thinks cause something is old it is worth a ton. Oh well, figured I'd share that.  Edited by Chriscoinmaster
05/29/2011 11:26 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2589 Posts |
When I was a teller I would never try to sell coins to people for more than face value, if I did as you stated above I would be fired. My rule of thumb was if I was stupid enough to leave something valueable in my till and a customer saw it and asked for it, I gave it to them for face. There were also a few younger collectors that would come in and I occasionally would offer them a steel wheatie or ike for face value, the smile on their faces was worth the few cents it cost me.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1510 Posts |
is that legal?
Retired USAF 1983-2003
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Valued Member
 United States
337 Posts |
I wouldn't say illegal, probably more like against policies or rules
side note I did get a 1934 100 dollar bill from the same lady at face value. My mom bought it off her for my Christmas present last year. Like I said though, neither of them know anything about coins
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2424 Posts |
yea,
kinda of going on a tangent, when I saw some silver halves in the tellers till she refused to give them to me. could of started something. wasnt worth it. I just called the manager and mentioned that it was against policy to refuse legal tender to customers. I can understand if a teller takes it out of their till, but when its in broad daylight and you kindly ask, before refusing, bring out clad halves that were not in the till, kinda pushes your buttons. anywho, hope some bank tellers can be nice and let a few silvers leave their clutches
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2205 Posts |
Wow, that teller was nuts. She broke every ethical rule in the book. Something tells me there was something illegal in there, too--trying to make a profit from a piece of federal property while in a federal workplace.
But the woman probably had no clue that what she was doing was wrong. Your mom is a saint for not having turned her in, but at the same time that woman needs a stern talking to by someone with some common sense.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
Quote:
trying to make a profit from a piece of federal property while in a federal workplace I am not positive but I do not think a bank is a "federal workplace". I think they are privately owned and FDIC insured but I do not think a bank employee like a teller is a federal employee |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
 Most likely that 1901 was G-VG and far from being worth $10. Why doesn't that teller simply trade it for a cent and sell on ebay?  Edited by DVCollector
05/29/2011 4:23 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1388 Posts |
Sounds to me like the teller needs a hard lesson... I handed out a 1955 Washington quarter today, and not because I had to. It was because that was someones' change, and I wouldn't take their change out of their hand just to have a $7 piece of silver... It's a matter of ethics, and being a moral person... I wonder how much money this teller has made "on the side", this can't be a first time thing from the way it sounds...  |
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Valued Member
United States
337 Posts |
yeah it's a question of ethics and yeah the coin wasn't worth 10 bucks I doubt, unless it was in like XF condition, but she has been pretty cool with my mom ever since she started working at the bank. Like I said I got a few really nice old bills for face value. Maybe because 100 dollar and 50 dollar bills are harder for a non collector to pull to save.
If I was there I would've told her an estimate of the coins worth, and maybe told her I would buy it off her when she was on break or something. But buying a coin out of a tellers tray for the tellers profit seems like it could get even me in trouble.
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Moderator
 United States
16679 Posts |
That was pretty stupid of the teller and AT WORK! Unethical, absolutely. Against policies, I am sure. While she is behind that counter, that is the banks money, not hers.
Oh yeah, probably $1-3 at best for that coin.
swcoin.ecrater.com
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New Member
United States
47 Posts |
Teller should have been reported. Legal tender is legal tender - for commerce, a bank cannot increase the value of a legally traded coin for more than its' face value. I know you have had some luck with this teller getting you some interesting notes, but it could be more than what you know. Counterfeit bills being change for legal tender? Possible to pass these off pretty quick without anyone noticing them. Just a thought.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
So if she swaps out her own money for something in the till (assuming the banks rules allow her to do that.) you are saying that she then can't sell that coin? Although if she actually did take it from the till and offer it I would assume she had not swapped for it. Are we absolutely sure the teller took it from her till? Maybe, maybe not. We are working for hearsay here. Maybe the teller took it from the till, maybe she didn't but the OP's mother thought she did. Frankly, other than for the probably high price, I don't think we have any reason to comment negatively on the teller.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2589 Posts |
Its not illegal, just likely against company policy (soliciting customers with non-company products). Its also generally considered bad edicit to try to solicit customers with products that the company you work for does not sell. Many stores will have signs in their windows stating no solicitations, (though many times this is to prevent people from trying to sell items to the store).
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Valued Member
United States
296 Posts |
To expand on Condor's observation, the only thing the teller did that we know for sure, that is almost always against bank policy, is do a private transaction across the teller window while on the clock.
I have bought coins from tellers in the past that were theirs. But so far without exception, they told me that they would have to use a conference room or the lobby to do so. On their lunch break.
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Replies: 14 / Views: 2,546 |
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Posted 05/29/2011 11:17 am
