On Thu, 20 Mar 2008 03:45:40 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Cons:

1. Redesigned half dollar:

May be seen by the general public, as a collectible, and hoarded,
rather than spent. May not work in some vending machines. May be too
easily mistaken for a quarter, nickel, or penny, and thus people would
not like it. People may not want to change their habbits, of not
spending and accepting halves. Vendors may not want to retool their
machines to take new half dollars. May not have a space for halves in
some cash regesters.

A redesigned Half Dollar could be made golden in color like the dollar
coins, just smaller. And make the general design different enough from
the Nickel so it feels different.

However, to get people to spend any new form of note or coin will
require stores to start handing them out in change. If more stores
started handing out dollar coins in change I believe people would
spend them. As is, getting dollar coins requires an extra step, like
going into a bank or post office, that most people are just not
willing to do.

Also, the mint should start selling rolls of dollar coins at face,
rather than at a $11 markup.