# Paying with rolls of coins **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 9, 2000, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-with-rolls-of-coins/7841 "2000-02-09T01:12:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2000, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-with-rolls-of-coins/7841/41 "2000-02-15T13:51:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Arken: > **I used to work for an art-house cinema where I would play both cashier and projectionist. Of course, being art-house, we never had any money and had to hope that people brought exact change for the movie. Early in the showing, people would give me $20s and I would tell them that I would gladly take their $20 if they didn’t want change. Otherwise, they’d have to wait until I had some. Sometimes they got pissed off, even threatening, but what could they do? Of course, they couldn’t go into the theatre until they paid, or I could call the cops on them. In that way, I was both refusing them service and offering to make a sale at the same time.** And losing future potiential business at the same time. 🙂 * * * “I’m the best there is Fats. Even if you beat me, I’m still the best.” (Paul Newman in The Hustler) ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2000, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-with-rolls-of-coins/7841/42 "2000-02-15T14:03:00Z")
Ya know, the whole contract law debate is a bit off-topic. One learns that the coin of the realm is the coin of the realm, until someone decideds it’s not??? What the hell is that? If the US Gummint is going to make a penny, and storekeepers are going to refuse to take said penny, then we have a much more fundamental issue at hand. I understand the fears of taking a bum 100 ( although they are somewhat minimized these days with the new bills, it is still a threat). I was not referring to fears of being duped with a fake bill,I mean that storekeepers will routinely say, " Nothing bigger than a 20, AND No Pennies". What the hell is that? Since when do they get to decide? Are they really allowed to? If I need to use a 50, and am refused the sale, even though my 50.00 bill is a real one, “legal tender” and all, do I have ANY legal recourse? ( Let’s assume that I have A) A shitload of time on my hands, and B) Bottomless pockets ). I can see it now, people will refuse the Gold Dollar Coin, because it looks like a Video Arcade novelty item… ``` Cartooniverse ``` * * * If you want to kiss the sky, you’d better learn how to kneel. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2000, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-with-rolls-of-coins/7841/43 "2000-02-15T14:25:00Z")
Cartooniverse, I actually spent a sackie at a liquor store a couple of days after they were released. The clerk thought it was neat. I never had any trouble spending suzies or $2 bills either. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2000, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-with-rolls-of-coins/7841/44 "2000-02-15T16:43:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Otto, just to let you know, I wasn’t being insulting Yeah I know, there was supposed to be a “g” in chevrons after that line. I forgot this type of board makes anything between chevrons vanish. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2000, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-with-rolls-of-coins/7841/45 "2000-02-27T06:20:00Z")
We finally got around to contract law and I asked my prof (an attorney of 15 years). He states that a merchant may indeed refuse payment in “legal tender” if said merchant has posted restrictions on the kind of tender s/he will accept. So a sign that says “no bills over $20” or “No more than (x) dollars in change per purchase” makes that a condition of the sales contract. If a patron tries to pay with a $50 or with more than (x) dollars of coins, the merchant may refuse to execute the contract and will incur no penalty, including the penalty of surrendering the merchandise for free. ---
**Author:** ![upstatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ce73a5/32.png) [@upstatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/upstatic)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2000, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-with-rolls-of-coins/7841/46 "2000-02-28T00:48:00Z")
Remember, United States currency is legal tender for ALL debts, public and private. There is no law passed by the government saying that coins, in large amounts, cannot pay off a debt…etc. I think private business’ can refuse the transaction, though. Ex. Did you know that that in 1913, Frank Woolworth(the American inventor of the five-and-dime stores), bought a building in New York City(immediately after taking on the name ‘Woolworth Building’) for 13 million dollars. The ironic part about it: following the same principle as his costumers, he bought the building in nickels and dimes. (all 13 million dollars, paid in full!) My facts may be slightly off, but I believe that is the correct story. Anyone who believes that I’m mistaken, please email me the correction or post it. * * * R.J.D. ---
**Author:** ![Ursa\_Major](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a88e57/32.png) [@Ursa\_Major](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ursa_Major)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2000, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-with-rolls-of-coins/7841/47 "2000-02-28T01:18:00Z")
That’s a neat little story, upstatic, but there are a few problems with it. Woolworth didn’t buy the Cathedral of Commerce (also known as the Woolworth building). He built it. Are you saying he paid off the architect(Cass Gilbert) and the engineer(Gunvald Aus) and all the contractors in nickles and dimes? Even if he did, it wouldn’t have been one big pile of about 200 million nickles and dimes. The building would have been paid for over the three years it took to build it, to hundreds of different people and companies. ---
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2000, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-with-rolls-of-coins/7841/48 "2000-02-28T01:36:00Z")
ummmmm I was wondering that myself Ursa. ---
**Author:** ![upstatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ce73a5/32.png) [@upstatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/upstatic)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2000, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-with-rolls-of-coins/7841/49 "2000-02-29T04:47:00Z")
I thought my facts were off. I’m trying to locate a good biography on Frankie now, I’ll have a post in a few days with the correct story. * * * R.J.D. ---
**Author:** ![upstatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ce73a5/32.png) [@upstatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/upstatic)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2000, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-with-rolls-of-coins/7841/50 "2000-02-29T04:48:00Z")
I thought my facts were off. I’m trying to locate a good biography on Frankie now, I’ll have a post in a few days with the correct story. * * * R.J.D. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-with-rolls-of-coins/7841.md?page=2)