The real reason for your proposed dollar coin

[notorial dissent]

No doubt, I never said it couldn't be done, just that no one wants it done, and there is, to put it mildly, a fair bit of resistance to the idea here, both from the consumer end, as well as from the vendors. The last time Congress floated this idea they didn't like the response they got, and it has been pretty well tabled since then.

[Pottapaug1938]

My opinion is that the American public like their money just the way it is, although the coins are almost universally ugly (relief so flat that it is cartoonish, with the exception of the National Parks and (most of) the 50 state quarters. As for the dollar bill, even people who want lower taxes and government spending cuts insist on keeping short-lived dollar bills over coins; and they moan and whine about having pockets loaded down with dollar coins, etc. etc. etc. They act as if Washington himself ordained the paper dollar, and don't want to hear that other countries like Canada do just fine with dollar coins ("that's fine for them, but WE are Amurricans").

There's also the issue of what designs would go on any new coins. We saw political interference scuttle the original design of the small-sized dollar, and we have seen the design of the new golden dollars affected by politics as well. Americans hate to get or spend pennies; but if someone proposes abolishing them people whine and moan about sneaky price rises (as if those never happen), although the price would only change by 1 or 2 cents and could go down as well as up.

Even redesigns of existing coins are subject to politics. When the Mint tried new designs out on the nickel, the people who run the Monticello historic site, and others in that area, wailed and gnashed teeth at the prospect of losing the free advertising; so that's why we have the same old reverse on the nickel, with relief so flat it looks like a sketch. We would also see political battles about seeing this person's hero on a coin (or keeping someone else's hero off).

When I was growing up, our coinage was still attractive. Now, however, I've stopped collecting it, because except for the quarters, they aren't worth saving (the Presidential dollar series looks like the tokens you used to get when you got a fillup at certain service stations). I'd much rather collect Canadian, Swiss or pre-Euro German coins.

[Burnaby49]

There's also the issue of what designs would go on any new coins. We saw political interference scuttle the original design of the small-sized dollar, and we have seen the design of the new golden dollars affected by politics as well. Americans hate to get or spend pennies; but if someone proposes abolishing them people whine and moan about sneaky price rises (as if those never happen), although the price would only change by 1 or 2 cents and could go down as well as up.

Our penny went out of circulation early February and it was a total non-event. Within a few weeks people barely remembered they ever existed. In our case the change goes up or down depending on the amount of the bill. At worst I'm out of pocket two cents on a transaction.

[notorial dissent]

Burnaby49, what you say is quite true, and applies well to Canada, and doesn't fly here at all.

I agree totally with everything Pottapaug1938 said, and have to expand on one point.

and don't want to hear that other countries like Canada do just fine with dollar coins ("that's fine for them, but WE are Amurricans"

If for no other reason, that is exactly why we won't do it here.

[JamesVincent]

Anytime you buy tickets for MTA vehicles (light rail, train or bus) in Md. you get change from the machine in golden dollars. Same thing at the Post Office the last time I bought stamps. Sometimes I'll have a good amount of them in my change jar, right now there's none. I don't think I've ever gotten them in change from a "normal" store yet I've spent them in stores with no issues.

[notorial dissent]

Pretty much ya, I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually intentionally gotten one in change, unintentionally, a whole lot of times. I always make a point if I am using one of the PO vending machines to always have close to exact amount just so I don't get them back as change.

[rogfulton]

Pretty much ya, I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually intentionally gotten one in change, unintentionally, a whole lot of times. I always make a point if I am using one of the PO vending machines to always have close to exact amount just so I don't get them back as change.

Speaking of unintentional, my wife was quite happy to receive several SBA dollars as payout from a quarter video poker machine she was playing the last time we were in Vegas.

[Pottapaug1938]

Anytime you buy tickets for MTA vehicles (light rail, train or bus) in Md. you get change from the machine in golden dollars. Same thing at the Post Office the last time I bought stamps. Sometimes I'll have a good amount of them in my change jar, right now there's none. I don't think I've ever gotten them in change from a "normal" store yet I've spent them in stores with no issues.

That's because if the clerk tries to give them out, the usual customer response is on the order of "eeeeew -- can't you give me regular dollars?" Also, there are quite often rolls of coins, rubber bands, or other items covering the coins.

[Burnaby49]

This discussion has been covering the unlamented demise of the Canadian penny. Now that that has been done the government seems to be floating rumours, sending out feelers, to get the public's opinion on moving up the ladder to eliminate the nickel.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/nickel- ... -1.3821804

Dark, dark secrets hidden from the public!

Earlier this year, a Finance Department memo to senior officials examined the nickel's purchasing power, usage and production costs.

Much of the April document, obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, was blacked out, including the "assessment" portion that likely discussed the coin's future.

Apparently we are looking to South Africa for leadership in this area;

The memo says all G8 countries have a coin denomination equal to the Canadian nickel, but notes that New Zealand and South Africa have jettisoned their nickels over the past decade.

And then the standard government boilerplate deception before they drop the hammer;

Still, Ottawa "has no plans to discontinue the nickel," Finance spokesman David Barnabe wrote in an email.

But some aren't deceived by government lies!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/desjard ... -1.3563961

[webhick]

I'm procrastinating and so I had some random fleeting thoughts. What if they eliminate all coinage? Would they end up rounding to the nearest dollar or would it all be rounded up?

My sister (and her husband) cannot have a checking account. Screw it up every f-ing time. Hell, I'm not sure if they could even get one at this point. I don't even think they can handle a pre-paid debit card. So, they pay cash for everything and they're poor...so, would eliminating coinage help or hinder them? I think it would depend on the cent amount of the average transaction. I mean, if the majority of their purchases end up above the $.50 line, they're slowly being bled and below that line they're slowing making out better. A clever person could structure their transactions so they round down everything and really game the system. If you're broke, it might actually be worth it (500 transactions rounded down could earn up to $249).

Then the stores/government would catch on and the whole country would end up operating like a Dollar Store.

Not that they would eliminate all coinage, but again, I'm procrastinating.

[Burnaby49]

The October 10th edition of the New Yorker had what I thought was a fascinating story (wife thought it was boring) on how Sweden has moved to becoming an almost totally cashless society.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/ ... less-world

The Swedes seemed to have largely worked it out without any great problems or concerns except from recalcitrant old cranks like me who like having a wallet full of cash. When they are dead cash will apparently die with them.

[Randall]

Once upon a time I proposed expanding the chip on the debit/credit to also include medical information, national id, state driver's license. One card for everything, no more cash or overstuffed wallets. The information would be restricted to those that may need it, i.e., the police would not have access to your medical records, the hospital wouldn't access your credit reports, etc.
I think current technology makes it possible but I am under no delusional that it will happen. (I may be under other delusions but that's a different discussion)

[notorial dissent]

Once upon a time I proposed expanding the chip on the debit/credit to also include medical information, national id, state driver's license. One card for everything, no more cash or overstuffed wallets. The information would be restricted to those that may need it, i.e., the police would not have access to your medical records, the hospital wouldn't access your credit reports, etc.
I think current technology makes it possible but I am under no delusional that it will happen. (I may be under other delusions but that's a different discussion)

Yes, nothing like creating an identity thief's wetdream.

[The Observer]

One ID card to rule them
One ID card to find them
One ID card to gather them all
and in the darkness bind them

[Judge Roy Bean]

Once upon a time I proposed expanding the chip on the debit/credit to also include medical information, national id, state driver's license. One card for everything, no more cash or overstuffed wallets. The information would be restricted to those that may need it, i.e., the police would not have access to your medical records, the hospital wouldn't access your credit reports, etc.
I think current technology makes it possible but I am under no delusional that it will happen. (I may be under other delusions but that's a different discussion)

The only delusion you're under is the part where you think various entities wouldn't have access to your personal information. FYI - they already do if they're willing and have the resources; the idea of having it on a single chip on a card simply makes it cheaper and faster to acquire.

[Burnaby49]

Once upon a time I proposed expanding the chip on the debit/credit to also include medical information, national id, state driver's license. One card for everything, no more cash or overstuffed wallets. The information would be restricted to those that may need it, i.e., the police would not have access to your medical records, the hospital wouldn't access your credit reports, etc.
I think current technology makes it possible but I am under no delusional that it will happen. (I may be under other delusions but that's a different discussion)

The only delusion you're under is the part where you think various entities wouldn't have access to your personal information. FYI - they already do if they're willing and have the resources; the idea of having it on a single chip on a card simply makes it cheaper and faster to acquire.

Agreed. It's my opinion that essentially everything we do now leaves a recoverable trace, internet, documents, a walk through downtown Vancouver, whatever. All that it takes is the willingness on someone's part, govenment or otherwise, to spend the resources to find it.

[Arthur Rubin]

I'm reminded of the fantasy novel "Myth-Taken Identity".... the villain's henchmen ask personal questions of the target which allows the villain to create a card which magically allows the villain to create copies of the target under his control, references to the "Master Card".

I can provide more information at a later time, if anyone is interested.

[obadiah]

Skeeve?

I'm reminded of the fantasy novel "Myth-Taken Identity".... the villain's henchmen ask personal questions of the target which allows the villain to create a card which magically allows the villain to create copies of the target under his control, references to the "Master Card".

I can provide more information at a later time, if anyone is interested.

[LaVidaRoja]

sounds more like Aspin

[The Observer]

Yes, the late Robert Asprin, author of the "Myth" series. He himself had an tax issue with the IRS and had to take a break from writing until he could resolve the issue.