# That's one HEAVY piece of change! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 22, 2007, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-one-heavy-piece-of-change/393173 "2007-02-22T01:29:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-one-heavy-piece-of-change/393173/1 "2007-02-22T01:29:39Z")
Some spare change for when Bill Gates comes north of the border again. [100 kilogram gold coin](http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2007/02/21/3652155-cp.html) :eek: I suppose the Mint has done their market research and that someone will buy one, but it certainly strikes me as something unusually odd to spend a million or two on even for the likes of Bill Gates and Donald Trump. > [@](#): > > The website does note that the monster coin “will not impact the vending industry” and will not be noticeable to the general public. Really? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-one-heavy-piece-of-change/393173/2 "2007-02-22T01:42:39Z")
Obviously, the best use for this is to drill a long post in the middle of it and use it as a portable stripper stage. …what? ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-one-heavy-piece-of-change/393173/3 "2007-02-22T03:04:49Z")
From the story: > [@](#): > > The mint says the new coin will have a purity of 99.999 per cent gold. That extra nine makes it slightly purer than the 99.99 per cent gold coins offered by its competitors. The marketing just writes itself: _Now with More Nines!_ ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-one-heavy-piece-of-change/393173/4 "2007-02-22T04:26:16Z")
:eek: I’ll get two. Plus a Rolls for Jeeves to transport them in. And maybe I’ll adapt a vending machine to accept them. It will dispense mansions. This does seem to be some sort of reply to the threads we get every few months about why the US public does not use more coins. I’m just not sure what _sort_ of reply. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-one-heavy-piece-of-change/393173/5 "2007-02-22T04:55:53Z")
No real opinion on the coin, but I’m glad I saw the Canoe Network’s [“Weird News Photo of the Day”](http://www.canoe.ca/Feb21/photoday.jpg) – nobody around here seems to know what these things are, or why they crawl out of the woodwork in cold weather. Now, at least I know they come from Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-one-heavy-piece-of-change/393173/6 "2007-02-22T05:32:44Z")
[QUOTE=Terrifel] No real opinion on the coin, but I’m glad I saw the Canoe Network’s [“Weird News Photo of the Day”](http://www.canoe.ca/Feb21/photoday.jpg) – nobody around here seems to know what these things are, or why they crawl out of the woodwork in cold weather. Now, at least I know they come from Canada. [/QUOTE] We have to have _something_ to do to ward off cabin fever during winter… ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-one-heavy-piece-of-change/393173/7 "2007-02-22T14:51:04Z")
I’m just thinking of all those retail businesses that have signs saying “We do not accept $100 bills.” Think of the response you could come up with: “No problem. I’ll pay for my purchase with change…” 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-one-heavy-piece-of-change/393173/8 "2007-02-22T18:54:31Z")
> [@](#): > > The website does note that the monster coin “will not impact the vending industry” and **will not be noticeable to the general public**. How big do they have to make them to get the public to notice them? Do Canadians have extremely poor eyesight? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-one-heavy-piece-of-change/393173/9 "2007-02-22T18:59:40Z")
Sorry, Yankees! The Canadians have beaten you to the punch _again_. You’re still faffing and refusing to use dollar coins. They’ve gone straight for the million-dollar coin. (Of course, you won’t be able to exchange it for American money, because the banks refuse to deal with fliddling small change.) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-one-heavy-piece-of-change/393173/10 "2007-02-22T20:11:59Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] (Of course, you won’t be able to exchange it for American money, because the banks refuse to deal with fliddling small change.) [/QUOTE] I tried to exchange it for some ningis, but they said they were out of rubber… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-one-heavy-piece-of-change/393173/11 "2007-02-22T20:39:11Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] :eek: I’ll get two. Plus a Rolls for Jeeves to transport them in. And maybe I’ll adapt a vending machine to accept them. It will dispense mansions. [/QUOTE] Five minutes of laughing helplessly as I envision it: A Coke-style vending machine with one huge slot in the side. Two slightly shlubby-looking guys – how did they get one of these? – rolling a gold coin the size of a manhole. Together they struggle to pick it up, finally shoving it through the slot. _CLANG_ Guy 1: So what’s this machine supposed to give out? Guy 2: Dunno, but it’s got to be good… what’s that rumbling sound? _CRASH_ ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-one-heavy-piece-of-change/393173/12 "2007-02-22T20:42:16Z")
[QUOTE=Little Plastic Ninja] Five minutes of laughing helplessly as I envision it: A Coke-style vending machine with one huge slot in the side. Two slightly shlubby-looking guys – how did they get one of these? – rolling a gold coin the size of a manhole. Together they struggle to pick it up, finally shoving it through the slot. _CLANG_ Guy 1: So what’s this machine supposed to give out? Guy 2: Dunno, but it’s got to be good… what’s that rumbling sound? _CRASH_ [/QUOTE] "And you said those building-code courses would never be any use! “Now, how do we assemble this thing?” ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-one-heavy-piece-of-change/393173/13 "2007-02-22T21:07:58Z")
This also puts a whole new take of the “Dr. Evil” phenomenom: :: The Council’s situation room :: :: Dr. Evil, six metres tall on the video screen, threatens the Free World :: “…that last volcanic eruption was just a demonstration of my power. My moles are under twenty world captials as I speak. If you don’t want to see them melt into calderas of lava, I expect the sum of… one… _million_… dollars in gold bullion within 48 hours! Bwa ha ha haa…” :: the video screen goes still :: :: the assorted world leaders turn to each other :: “One million dollars in gold? I’ll get my chequebook.” “No need. I have it on hand in change.” :: a ringing rumble as an assistant rolls a gold coin the size of a manhole cover to the podium… :: ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-one-heavy-piece-of-change/393173/14 "2007-02-22T22:52:52Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] I tried to exchange it for some ningis, but they said they were out of rubber… [/QUOTE] So you don’t have a Pu yet? ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-one-heavy-piece-of-change/393173/15 "2007-02-22T23:15:52Z")
“Is that a 100 kilogram gold coin in your pocket or are just glad to see me?” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-one-heavy-piece-of-change/393173/16 "2007-05-04T16:10:53Z")
An update: the [Royal Canadian Mint](http://www.mint.ca/) has just released the coin. (See the press release on the Mint’s completely-flash un-deep-linkable website… I hate it when they design sites that way.) Apparently three coins have already been sold. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2007, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-one-heavy-piece-of-change/393173/17 "2007-05-23T19:05:42Z")
Well, Her Majesty the Queen should get one, I think. It’s got her portrait on it, after all. And other than individual high-rollers, conspicuous consumers and Auric Goldfinger wannabes, there are probably quite a few museums that would want to get one.