Getting the Public to Use Half Dollars and Dollars

In article , A.E. Gelat
wrote:

If there were no one dollar bills, I would not carry the current
dollar coins, because they are too bulky. I would carry the twos and
higher denominations, and hope to get change in quarters.

That makes no sense. You say you don't like dollar coins because of
their weight and you would prefer using four quarters instead. Four
quarters are considerably heavier than a dollar coin.

Paul

--
Paul Anderson
OpenVMS Engineering
Hewlett-Packard Company

The current dime vs. nickel only makes sense if you can remember
silver dimes. These days it is silly to have a teeny-weenie dime and a
big-ass nickel, except that that's what we've always had and all the
vending machines recognize them.

That's the funniest thing I've read this morning! "A teeny-weenie dime
and a big-ass nickel!" LOL!!!

The rule about "no living person depicted on coinage" should be
extended to "no person living within the past X years may be depicted
on coinage", BRBR

There is no rule to that effect. Stamps yes, but the stamp rule does not apply
to presidents or first ladies. The Nixon, Johnson and Truman stamps were issued
within a year of their deaths. The Ike stamp within a few months.

Kennedy and Roosevelt were on coins within a few month of their deaths, and
Kennedy's sister was on a commemerative dollar while still alive.

Should a president die in office, then s/he'll replace JFK on the half.

eric l.

Fred Shecter wrote:

You are, of course, correct. I can, however, appreciate that since we
no longer have actual 'valuable metal' in our coins that the sizes
should make some sense. Making a dollar coin the size of a classic
Silver Dollar is not wise as it's too big and heavy. The current dime
vs. nickel only makes sense if you can remember silver dimes. These
days it is silly to have a teeny-weenie dime and a big-ass nickel,
except that that's what we've always had and all the vending machines
recognize them. The only machines that I've run across that accept
halves are slot machines and toll booths. Everywhere else they don't
work in the machines. They are still neat looking. I like them, but I
don't expect them to circulate widely because they are not useable in
machines.

Small dollar coins (SBA/GD) are recognized by machines. They are used
more often. I am amazed at how many I see in the cash registers as I
shop from store to store. They did not come from me since I hadn't
paid yet, so someone else is spending them. I've asked cashiers and
they say that they are seeing more and more of them all the time. It
looks like they are slowly but surely becoming accepted.

This sounds to me like how the 5 DM coin supplanted the 5 DM banknote in
pre-Euro Germany. Never withdrawn before 'Euroday', the 5 DM banknote
became virtually unseen over the years after the coin was introduced
(mid 1970s?).

--
___________________________________________ ____ _______________
Regards, | |\ ____
| | | | |\
Michael G. Koerner May they | | | | | | rise again!
Appleton, Wisconsin USA | | | | | |
___________________________________________ | | | | | | _______________

I have proposed several times a nickel-sized dollar coin. ALL vending
machines accept a nickel, but the dollar coin would be heavier, I assume,
and not be confused with the nickel.

Tony
..
"bri" wrote in message
...

"Ami ." wrote in message
...
What are your ideas on getting the public to widely use half dollar and
dollar coins in everyday transactions?

I think the following would work:

1. End production of Kennedy halves in 2004. The last year should have a
special date, 1964-2004. Starting in 2005, the half dollar would have a
portrait of Martin Luther King on the obverse. The words "United States
of America" would be in big letters above the portrait. The word
"Liberty" would be in smaller letters positioned on the obverse. On the
reverse, there would be the rendering of the Liberty Bell that was on
the reverse of the Franklin halves. Above the Liberty Bell would be the
words "Let Freedom Ring."

2. Starting in 2005, remove the portrait of Sacagawea from the dollar
coin. Replace it with a portrait of John F. Kennedy. The design of the
Kennedy dollar coin would have a new portrait. The reverse would remain
the same as the current Kennedy half.

We would then have MLK Halves and Kennedy Golden Dollars.

If they seriously wanted to get ppl. to use dollar coins they would have
to
get the makers of all machines that take change to accept dollar coins.
Most
soft drink vending machines and car washes cost well over a dollar now so
it
would make it more convienient and efficient to carry just a couple of
coins
around instead of 2 bucks worth of quarters wearing a hole in your pocket.
Maybe just stop making quarters and replace them with a dollar coin
exactly
the same size as a quarter--they could just up and say all quarters are
worth a dollar until they destroy most of them. No need to change all the
machines over that way and the confusion would only last for a few days.
Heck if they priced things so that when tax is included you end up with
nice
round figures you wouldn't need all that extraneous coinage hogging up
jars,
cans and piggy banks.
I saw a news cast where some landfill in NJ counted up change thrown away
in
just one day--$8000.00!!
People would be less inclined to lose track of change when it's worth
more.

Billy wrote:

"In the UK £1 coins are used by the majority of the population on a
daily
basis, it will be no different in the USA if the $1 note gets the
heave
ho, the $1 coin will take its place, with a bit of fuss of course as
it
is the USA public who seem to very much against change in the
notes/coins if posts here are anything to go by.

I suspect that the views of the general public in the USA will be
different from the coin collectors posting here as a collector's view
will be different from the majority of non collectors."



I readily admit that I haven't read every post in this thread, but if
I could interject just one comment...

I'd rather carry a wad of dollar bills (filthy, bacteria-infested rags
as they are) in my purse than an equal (total) amount of coins.
Believe it or not, those halves and dollar coins are heavy! It's bad
enough carrying a few dollars' worth of quarters. Don't you guys have
a problem with this... all that heavy change banging around in your
pants pockets, weighing you down?


Anka ---- trying to avoid a dowager's hump

Bruce, an old dollar, which I should have pointed out, has about the same
weight as four quarters. No, I would not refuse to accept any dollar coin,
but I would stop minting half dollars and sacs and have them withdrawn from
circulation and melted down. Also, proof sets should no longer contain the
half and one dollar coins. Many countries have downsized their regular
coins, especially the silver ones, to save weight and cost (nickel is
expensive). The UK, for instance, has done that, and that has not caused
any problems. Like metrication, all the world except the USA and one or two
fourth-world countries have done so. If the countries that converted have
had no problems, are they smarter than US Americans? I hope not!

Tony

"Bruce Remick" wrote in message
...
A.E. Gelat wrote:



Bruce, you see my point, but you do not grasp it. If there were no one
dollar bills, I would not carry the current dollar coins, because they
are
too bulky. I would carry the twos and higher denominations, and hope
to get change in quarters. That is the point. I believe many people
will
do the same.

Tony


Actually, Tony, you seem to be in the minority with that opinion, at
least among those playing in this thread. Are you saying that, in a
world where the dollar bill has been discontinued, you would refuse the
dollar coin as it exists today in change and request quarters instead?
One dollar coin is more bulky than four quarters? Put 8 quarters in
one hand and 2 Sac's in the other. Which weighs more? I would also
doubt that you could consistantly pull out the Sac's among the quarters
in a pocketful of change without looking. Anyway, you're perfectly
welcome to use those coins you enjoy, without the heavy lifting.

Bruce

This will never be a cashless society. I use credit cards and checks to the
maximum extent possible, but I use cash for items under two or three
dollars, it is not worth the trouble. Can you imagine kids using a credit
card or a check for candy or an ice cream? A large number of people in the
USA do not have either bank accounts or credit cards, and this will remain
so for decades.

Tony

"JSTONE9352" wrote in message
...
If we are really moving toward a mostly
cashless society why make a big effort
in this area? It seems like a hopeless
fight. The average person is probably
comfortable with the current system and
sees no need to change.

Steve Okonski wrote:
The rule about "no living person depicted on coinage"

There's no such rule. Indeed, as recently as 1996 a living person was
depicted on a coin (the infamous Shriver dollar). While it's unlikely
that any living person will be depicted on circulating coinage, there's
no rule or law preventing it.

--
Bob

Paul Anderson wrote:
If there were no one dollar bills, I would not carry the current
dollar coins, because they are too bulky. I would carry the twos and
higher denominations, and hope to get change in quarters.

That makes no sense. You say you don't like dollar coins because of
their weight and you would prefer using four quarters instead. Four
quarters are considerably heavier than a dollar coin.

I didn't get A.E.'s comment either. Recall my story about the parking
machine. For a $2 parking charge, I had to put in a $5 bill, and got
twelve quarters in change. Is it really A.E.'s contention that twelve
quarters in your pocket is superior to three dollar coins?

--
Bob