# The 50 cent piece **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 14, 2002, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-cent-piece/118857 "2002-07-14T01:14:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2002, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-cent-piece/118857/21 "2002-07-14T13:55:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Raygun99 \* > …you would actually end up carrying around **less** coins. **Fewer** coins. An American 50 cent piece is far from **less**. And, as much of an enthusiast of the dollar coin as I am, the 50 cent pice is just _too damn big!_ ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2002, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-cent-piece/118857/22 "2002-07-14T14:15:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by asterion \* > \*\*-Well, remember, silver dollars can easily be confused with quarters. Sacas don’t have that problem, of course, but they’re not any more popular. I think the problem is that no vending machine in America–except for maybe the ones at the post office–are equipped to take the dollar coins and half-dollars and give them back as change. \*\* There’s at least one. One of the soda machines at my office has a sign on it announcing that it accepts the ‘gold’ dollar coins. Although, I’ve never actually put one in, so I suppose the sign could be lying … ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2002, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-cent-piece/118857/23 "2002-07-14T14:16:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by acsenray \* > **I think there is some evidence that might fairly lead to the conclusion that the United States is coin phobic. Look at the uproar in 1979 over the Susan B. Anthony dollar. It was just a freaking coin and people were expressing outrage on national television.** And what exactly was the uproar over? Remember that immediately before it, there was the “Eisenhower” dollar coin, that did not have any uproar associated with it… And the Sackies are sorta a victim of their own popularity in many cases, aren’t they? ---
**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:** [July 14, 2002, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-cent-piece/118857/24 "2002-07-14T14:18:18Z")
> [@](#): > > I haven’t figured it out. Excluding the silver containing halves, which of course won’t circulate due to hoarding, the US gov’t has minted billions of half dollars since the 70’s of which I’ve never received even one in change. I don’t know where they are I’ll read the link to Cecil’s answer later. For now, here’s my theory: Vending machines don’t take halves. (Most of the ones I’ve seen around here take sackies and suzies though.) The made them less convenient than quarters. (Come to think of it, the laundry machines only take quarters.) People started not using halves, so they started to dwindle in cash drawers. People thought, “Oh! Halves are rare! I’d better keep every one I find because it’s special.” So they stopped circulating. In other words: Halves stopped circulating because people hoarded them because they stopped circulating. Or: Vending machines don’t take halves because people don’t use halves because vending machines don’t take halves. There is _one_ local place I know that circulated halves: Tito’s Tacos on Washington and Sepulveda. If your change is greater than 49 cents and less than a dollar, they’ll give you a half in change every time. Another place where I’ve seen halves is in Las Vegas casinos. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2002, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-cent-piece/118857/25 "2002-07-14T14:19:12Z")
On review, I think a clarification is in order for this portion: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Anthracite \* > **Saying the US is “a bit coin phobic” because we don’t fall right in step with the more “enlightened” countries out there is not fair.** Only the first test in quotes is from the OP. In the second set of quotes, I am calling out a term I have heard before from others, but not agreeing with it, by the use of the quotes. The OP did not contain the word or implication in the second set of quotes. ---
**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:** [July 14, 2002, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-cent-piece/118857/26 "2002-07-14T14:21:32Z")
On a side note: I used to get sackies all the time out of the stamp machine at work. I’d spend them too (much to the annoyance of a co-worker, who didn’t like them). Now that our office headquarters have moved to a different city, the stamp machine has gone. I have to go to the Post Office to get stamps now, and no longer get sackies as change. ---
**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:** [July 14, 2002, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-cent-piece/118857/27 "2002-07-14T14:42:19Z")
> [@](#): > > The main job of the Coin Coalition, in fact, is lobbying for a dollar coin to replace the failed Susan B. Anthony coin–doomed, depending on whom you talk to, either by its similarity in size to a quarter… This is more suited to IMHO or MPSIMS, but… I think the similarity to the quarter is what doomed the suzie. I remember hearing many people complaining that they spent them as quarters, and the error was not noted by our famous ever-vigilant cashiers. Why is “Carter’s Quarter” so small? Because people didn’t want to carry around the old large-sized “silver” dollar. A pocket full of Eisenhowers is quite a bit heavier than a wallet full of singles. But making the dollar smaller lead to confusion with lesser denominations. IMO the sackie’s size should be different from the suzie’s. Maybe a bit thicker like the English pound coins I have around. But then they wouldn’t work in vending machines that take the suzie. And now a question: There is a “mint” that is advertising a “silver clad” (i.e., not silver) Carson City dollar. Why don’t we re-introduce a one-ounce silver coin? Since an ounce of silver costs more than a dollar, perhaps the legal-tender coin could be a “$10 piece”. Or, to ward off devaluation, it could be a one-ounce silver $20 piece. I think this could be profitable to the government, as they’ll sell many more than would be spent and people who spend them would probably like it. [sub]Of course, mostly I find plastic much more convenient than actual cash – in spite of my liking to spend sackies. [/sub] ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2002, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-cent-piece/118857/28 "2002-07-14T14:47:38Z")
The uselessness of pennies: What would make logical sense at this point is simply drop one decimal place. Everyday objects are all pricey enough that pricing simply to tenths is appropriate. Unfortunately, we have an exceedingly popular coin in a 25 cent denomination, so it’s not likely to happen. Imagine the hubbub if we tried to phase out quarters in favor of 20 cent and 50 cent coins. We could get rid of the penny, but we’re stuck with nickels and two digit prices in increments of $0.05. (aside - a 20 cent coin WAS issued for a brief interval in the 19th century, and is usually regarded as the most unpopular coin ever issued by the US mint. One of the problems was - you guessed it - it was too easily confused with a quarter. It was also minted for rather murky reasons having more to do with politics, and the influence of owners of silver mines than actual usefulness of the denomination. One account - [http://www.oldcoinshop.com/coinhistory/20c-1875-78.htm](http://www.oldcoinshop.com/coinhistory/20c-1875-78.htm)) ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2002, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-cent-piece/118857/29 "2002-07-14T15:36:52Z")
**yabob** , sing it to the gas stations (tenths of a cents? :rolleyes: ) ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2002, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-cent-piece/118857/30 "2002-07-14T16:43:09Z")
Does there remain a General Question on the table here? ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2002, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-cent-piece/118857/31 "2002-07-14T16:52:00Z")
I spent two 50 cent pieces yesterday. The girl at IGA was amazed to see one. She put it where the twonies go, but I mentioned to her she’d better put it where she wouldn’t confuse it with another coin (they are very similar in diameter to the toonie, and look almost the same edge-on). She then put it on top of the $20s. The other girl at Wal-Mart was amazed too, but she said “I haven’t gotten one of these in a long time.” She looked all of 16. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2002, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-cent-piece/118857/32 "2002-07-14T19:50:57Z")
I miss the $0.50 coin–as someone said, up until around 1970, they were in common use. I don’t remember the last time I saw one. ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2002, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-cent-piece/118857/33 "2002-07-14T23:47:49Z")
Oops. See what happens when you have Pommy grandparents and they introduce decimal currency when you’re 6? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-cent-piece/118857/34 "2002-07-15T15:16:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by erislover \* > \*\ ***yabob** , sing it to the gas stations (tenths of a cents? :rolleyes: ) \*\* Probably because gas is sold to the thousandth of a gallon. ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-cent-piece/118857/35 "2002-07-16T05:39:33Z")
I’d just like to add one more side note to the whole coin debate. On occaision, when the cupboard is getting a mite barren, Mr zoogirl has been known to pack up his trusty guitar and spend an hour or two in front of the local liquer store. Since the advent of loonies and toonies, this activity has become lucrative indeed. People who wouldn’t dream of parting with folding money will gladly empty a too-full pocket for the privilige of hearing a tune or two from a (usually) professional musician! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![gruven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a9a28c/32.png) [@gruven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gruven)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-cent-piece/118857/36 "2002-07-16T13:08:15Z")
The biggest use for half dollars I’ve seen in the U.S. is in Las Vegas. At the 21 tables, there are tons of them that are used for paying the 3:2 odds on a blackjack. But here’s a totally off the wall thought, if we ever manage to phase out the pennies, why not use the penny size for a new dollar coin? Granted it might be a little too easy to lose… But with people complaining about the size/weight of dollar coins versus dollar bills, maybe a tiny little coin would be sort of popular? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-50-cent-piece/118857.md?page=1)