A Solution to the Rejection of the Sacajewa Coin

Great Debates
#1

I was reading a recent article in the Palm Beach Post that reported that, although the Sacajewa dollar coin is doing much better than the Susan B.'s did, it is definitely not catching on.

The gov’mint wants dollar coins because they save a great deal of money - taxpayer money. While each coin costs more to make than each bill, they last 30 years as opposed to eighteen months.
There are other advantages, including that you don’t have to iron your Sacajewa before putting it into a vending machine (assuming vending machines are made to accept Sacajewas).

So my solution to getting the Coin accepted is – stop making dollar bills. If there ain’t no more bills (over time, as the ones in circulation wear out), people will start using the coin.
The argument I have heard against this step is that the value of currency is fundamentally psychological; a dollar is worth a dollar because people believe it to be. Therefore, you shouldn’t mess with the currency itself, for fear that the population’s faith in its value would be shaken.

To that I say: Hogwash, Sir!! Hogwash and Balderdash! Even ignoring the fact that Canada and Britain managed to avoid collapse and anarchy when they introduced the Loonie and pound coin and removed the corresponding bills from circulation, (Admittedly, Canada was a close-run thing. ;)), currency is less and less a tactile thing anyway. I’d say that about 90% of my money is never in the form of currency - a transfer is made into my account for my pay"check"; automatic debits pay my student loans, rent, etc.; and most of the rest of my debts I pay by check. I’m not going to suddenly fear for the value of my money because George W. is no longer in my wallet. I doubt many other people will be, either.

And this ain’t a “damn big government changing things” issue, either - if anything, you can argue that we are going back to our federalist roots, when the govmint didn’t issue bills, and the only “real” currency were coins (most of which were minted by other countries).

Sua

#2

It’s not catching on? :frowning: I love the Sackies! I have one right now, and I often get them by the $25 roll. (And yes, vending machines are slowly converting - some have, most will. The main place I’ve seen Susan B’s and Sackies is mass transit.)

Many people have said the same thing, Sua - the only way to get it used is to do away with the paper dollar, which is exactly what Canada did (same with the $2 coin - the “toonies”). There was some grumbling, but in general, Canadians seem to be a little more easy-going than us rowdy 'Mericans. :wink: My understanding, though, is that the government is planning to phase out the $1 bill (note every bill’s face has been redesigned except for the $1).

Still, I’d hate to see the dollar bill go - it’s a nice piece of work. Gotta love George.

Esprix

#3

I tried doing my part to popularize the Sackies! Every week I got twenty bucks worth of 'em and spent 'em like magic pennies. . . but the problem is that my bank did not enthusiastically supply them. I’d ask for a roll of dollar coins and the clerk would roll her eyes dramatically, lever herself off her stool, and lumber about bellowing, “Does anyone know if we have any dollar coins?” Finally, she would return with a roll which she surrendered reluctantly, saying, “This is our last one.” Eventually they just started denying that they had any at all.

I was never once given a Sackie in change out of a cash register.

The major problem seemed to be that they weren’t circulated in sufficient supply, so people thought they would be rare and collectable and were hoarding them. Since I spent all mine, I don’t even have any. :frowning:

I agree, Sua, the best thing to do would be start withdrawing dollar bills.

#4

I disagree with the premise. I don’t hate Sackies because of some deep psychological reason, I hate Sackies because
#1) They’re heavy. I can carry around $10 worth of one-dollar bills and don’t notice the weight. $10 Sackies pull my pants down enough that my butt crack shows. (Not a pretty sight)

#2) They’re too similar to quarters by feel. Put a handful of change in my pants and by feel I can tell what I’ve got. Until you get to Sackies/Quarters which weigh similar amounts and are very similar in size. I hate having to dump out all my change to pick the Sackies out.

Why not make 'em the size of nickles but give 'em the serrated(wrong word, but you know what I mean) edge that quarters and dimes have. They’d be lighter and much easier to distinguish by touch.

Fenris

#5

I’ve only ever been in possesion of the new Sackie once! Just one time! I haven’t seen any in months. Where ARE they all? I’m willing to accept them with open arms, but I can’t seem to find anyone who actually uses them as legal tender. Are people hoarding them? Are they chucking them into the sewer because they refuse to use them? What’s the deal??

#6

I have to agree with Fenris. I hate 'em. They may last longer, but I’d much rather put 40 dollar bills in my wallet than carry around 40 heavy coins. Not that I have 40 singles in my wallet, but they WILL fit in there. Dollar coins just aren’t convenient in any way. And I’d spend 'em much quicker. I like to save my money.

Also, what would we do without free mason conspiracy theories?

But just in case we do get rid of the dollar bill, Esprix, G.W. will always have the quarter - IMO the best coin for your dollar.

#7

I eat out all the time, and I was leaving them as tips for awhile. I kept having to explain what they were, and how much they were worth.

I’m a good tipper, so I hated the thought that I looked cheap, if I wasn’t.

So I just cut it out.

My only experience with receiving them was a t Christmas when we went by my mother’s house. She still likes to stuff stockings and have a traditional Christmas. She had them in all out stockings along with the little gold chocolate coins.

I never got them as change, the bank never offered me any, and nobody ever knew what the hell they were (or worth) anyway.

#8

Fenris, your suggestion refutes #2 on its face. I’ve got a pocketful of change right now, and two of those coins are Sackies. The edges are smooth, and they’re slightly larger than the quarters are. To me, they’re heavier than the quarters, and when I pull out said change, the dollar coins are immediately distinguishable from the quarters by their color.

If ten Sackies pulls your pants down so we can see the crack of your bum, get tighter pants! :smiley: Seriously. I mind ten dollar bills rolled up in my hip pocket a LOT more than I mind ten Sackies.

Robin

#9

I’ve been waiting to get my hands on some, but I’ve yet to see one. I could see people being reluctant to spend them because of the $2 bill syndrome.

Cashier: “What is this? This isn’t real money! Ha ha very funny”

Me: “Umm… yes it is. It’s the new dollar coin.”

Cashier: “We don’t have dollar coins.”

Me: “Umm… we’ve always had dollar coins, it used to be Susan B. Anthony, but now it’s these and they’re gold colored”

Cashier: “Well I can’t take this, do you have anything else?”

Me: “No. It’s real currency. You have to take it.”

Cashier: “No I don’t. I can’t anyway.”

Me: (To other patron) “Would you tell this cashier that it’s real money!?”

Other Patron: “I’ve never seen those before.”

Me: “Forget it. I’m not hungry anymore.”

Heck. Even when I used to spend the Susan B. Anthony coins I’d get strange looks and questioning glances.

#10

If we got rid of dollar bills, where would topless dancers put their tips?!? :stuck_out_tongue:

That aside, I agree that getting rid of bills is the only way to make coins viable.

#11

Most of the dancers around here immediately take the money out and put it in a pile after you put it in their strap, between their breasts etc…

They’d only have to hold one at a time theoretically, and I think the g-string should be able to support one. Plus you get more feelage by putting a coin there (better opportunity to brush the hand up against something)

I think coins are an advancement in stripper technology. Though they would make it harder to put the dollar on my nose, held by my glasses so the girl can take it out with her breasts.

Not that I’ve ever been to one. :wink:

#12

I’ve only seen them once.

I was attempting to pay to park my car. I’d parked at the lot many times before. After parking, you were to go to a machine, put in your stall number, and then put in the correct number of quarters (it didn’t take bills). Right next to the machine was a change machine - if you didn’t have quarters on you, you could get them. So, I put the $5 in the change machine, out pop 5 Sackies, which was fine with me, until the parking machine wouldn’t accept them. It only took quarters.

They’d be used more if they could be used somewhere… vending machines, parking meters, laundry machines, the places where people use change and ones.

#13

Next time you have to get stamps, put a $20 bill in the machine. All of your change comes back in the form of dollar coins. I’ve started doing this on a regular basis, and have been doing my part to spread them about. Trouble is, I’ve yet to receive any as change. But if I continue to spend them, at least the places I frequent will start getting used to them, and maybe they’ll begin giving them out as change more often.

Side note - now I’m very reluctant to spend my Susan Bs. Don’t know how I’d be able to replenish my supply.

Next step - Begin to build my collection of 50 cent pieces and 2 dollar bills… and spend, spend, spend…

#14

The only way to go it to dump the paper dollar. Get rid of them all. Then when cashiers have only dollar coins and 2 dollar bills will people start to see how much better this would be.

I used to work in a very busy movie theatre. I would do hundreds of cash transaction in a hour. A dollar coin and two dollar bills would speed things up tremendously. Not to mention make it easier in your wallet.

Some people are complaining that you can’t tell the difference when they are in your pocket.

When was the last time you needed that skill?

Come on. The only advantage to dollar bills is that their much easier to put into a strippers g-string. I’m sure they would love the standard tip to raise to two dollars.

#15

Yesterday I received the first I’ve ever gotten from a person (rather than a machine) as change.

#16

To add some real information to the topic, IIRC, Walmart had some dort of deal with the Treasury to distribute the “Sackies”. Also, the Post Office stamp machines give these out as change for larger bills.

#17

dort = sort

really, it does

#18

I have yet to see one. But given the abysmal way the Treasury department has been circulating them and getting the word out about them, I’m not too surprised to hear it’s bombing.

#19

I’m doing my part to stop the acceptance of Sackies. I refuse them when they’re offered to me as change. If the cashier can’t (or won’t) supply REAL money as change, I fully intend to just walk out of the store without my purchase.

I can’t stand the damned things. They’re fucking heavy. They roll out of my pockets when I sit down in my car. They feel like quarters. They’re only good for one industry: the vending industry.

If you’re so intent on saving taxpayer money, just get rid of the penny. We don’t need it. It’s useless. Take the nickel with it, too. Does anybody REALLY need such worthless denominations of money?

Keep the dollar like it is. It’s perfectly handleable, and I’ve never really had a whole lot of trouble with vending machines, despite what the vending lobby would have you believe. If you’re having a serious problem using dollar bills in vending machines, I suggest you invest in a nice wallet that will keep your bills in good shape. It’s not that tough.

#20

It was my understanding that 500,000,000 coins were minted–half a billion! And most are squirrelled away somewhere.

So they actually have caught on too well. We need to mint some more so you can’t do anything without seeing one.