At least here in New England, Canadian coins are occasionally circulated just as if as they are regular U.S. coins. It’s not preferred, but they look so similar that few people care and no one pays attention to the exchange rate (except banks…but they won’t take 'em anyway).
Does the reverse happen in Canada? (Are U.S. coins accepted as Canadian currency?)
While I’m on the topic…how frequeny is this in the southern U.S. states?
I wonder what fraction of the Canadian mint is siphoned to the States every year.
US coins are usually accepted in Canada when I’ve traveled, but the merchant always has the right to say no. I suppose if you decided to cross the border into Canada with $200 worth of Lincoln pennies, you might be told to get some real money.
It was kind of funny though. About 4 years ago, I visited my sister in LA and I went to Universal Studios. I went to the store to buy a souvenir and I was going to pay exact change, and one – ONE of the pennies was Canadian. The woman behind the counter said “Excuse me sir, I can’t take this. You see, its not REAL money”. I am like, ITS ONE FRIGGIN CENT!!! No go. I told her to stuff it.
When I worked at one of the major theme parks, we would get some Canadian coins (mostly pennies) and generally the park’s Cash Control office would not make a big deal if it was just one or two. Dimes and quarters were rarer, and I’ve never seen a Canadian nickel down here. Bills however were right out, and we had to send the person to the currency exchange at the from of the park. More so I would find a lot of similar-sized coins from Peru, UK and France, occasionally Germany. The banks pretty much weed them out, but occasionally I will still find a Canadian penny when getting my change at the grocery store or the mall.
When I lived back north near the Canadian border (years ago), it would depend on the store, either side of the border - some were okay [US Quarter = Canadian Quarter], others were real sticklers [US Quarter = Canadian Quarter + 3 Canadian pennies). One place (Niagara Falls, Ontario) had a sign up for the US tourists stating that (paraphrased) “US money is accepted at face value as Canadian, we are not a bank, we are not going to figure out the exchange rate, we will take your bills and give you the change in Canadian money no more no less - if it costs CN$3.85 and you give us US$5, you will get back CN$1.15. We will call the police if you make a fuss blah, blah”, …followed by some statute about how the shop did not legally have to honor the exchange rate.
(Side note: I would save two-dollar bills and Susan B.'s in my cash drawer to give as change/souvenir to foreign tourists - in return, they’d usually leave me a small denomiation coin from their country as a souvenir - I have quite a collection.)
In Cleveland also, and I don’t doubt in Detroit, so close to Canada, Canadian specie has always been as good as coin of the realm. (I suspect them of making quarters & dimes & everything of practically identical size & weight as U.S. ones to be able to work in vending machines or counting machines on both sides of the border. This has probably already become a SDMB thread?).
The farther you get from the border, the harder it will be to get anyone to accept Canadian coins. They’re not used to seeing them turn up in pocket change all the time.
Less common here, I suppose, but I get a Canadian coin in my pocket maybe once every three months or so. Pennies, mostly. Occasionally a nickel or a dime. I don’t think I have ever seen a quarter turn up down here.
Nobody seems to notice or care when you spend them. I’ve never had a Canadian coin rejected by any retailer.
New York City newsstand men will usually slide a Canadian coin offered in payment back to you, wordlessly, as if it were a wooden nickel, too much of an embarrassment to point out that you’ve tried to cheat them.
You mean Canadian merchants won’t roll out the red carpet and bow down to me when I flip 'em a U.S. dime?
I would see them occasionally in Austin and San Antonio. Usually just a penny now and then. Maybe being on the I-35 corridor makes their appearance more common
Much more common here in New England. Although I usually get a blank stare when I ask a vendor with a sign that says “no Canadian money” if he takes pesos.
I worked in a Montreal bar for a year or so . . . often, American tourists (or ‘easy pickins’ as we used to call them) would pay for a pitcher of beer that costs CAN$8 with a US$20, and not even complain when I gave them CAN$12 change . . . thanks for the $5 exchange-rate tip!
I worked in a Montreal bar for a year or so . . . often, American tourists (or ‘easy pickins’ as we used to call them) would pay for a pitcher of beer that costs CAN$8 with a US$20, and not even complain when I gave them CAN$12 change . . . thanks for the $10 exchange-rate tip, yank.
I even had some moron give me UK pounds at par . . . thanks for the $15 tip, your majesty.
Believe me, American money is as good as Canadian anywhere in the country.
Canadians coins rarely make it to the SF Bay Area but I once got a 1 Deutschemark coin in my change at a Taco Bell here. It was masquerading as a quarter. It’s about the same size but thicker and with a smooth edge. I figure a quarter for a DM is a pretty good deal…
Thanks everyone. FWIW, I see lots of Canadian pennies & quarters here in Mass/NH. Nickels and dimes seem a little rarer.
This must be due to either senior citizens crossing the border to buy cheaper prescription drugs or the high school students who go to the Montreal clubs.
You can get told that in the U.S. too! Ah, the poor penny…rejected in its own country.
Good one! Now why would someone from LA care if something is “fake”?
Back in the 80s when I visited France, I found that the 10 centeime (sp?) pieces (what is that, like 3 cents?) were accepted by the Boston subway tokens machines (tokens = 85 cents…perhaps less in the 1980s).
I remember reading a news story in the mid-1980s about a couple of Canadian tourists driving through Georgia or S. Carolina. They were arrested for trying to pass “counterfeit” money at a gas station. It was Canadian currency, of course. They weren’t in jail too long.
I’m not sure about the theory that the closer to the border you are, the more willing vendors will be to accept Canadian money. In Plattsburg N.Y. (not far from Montreal), around 1982, one of the grocery stores wouldn’t accept a Canadian dime from my father.
I once got an Irish 5-pence piece in my change in New Hampshire. It was masquerading as a dime.
Eeeagh, Canadian quarters. The bane of my existence. It’s become my goal in life to abolish the Canadian quarter, or to drive Canada back into the sea, whichever’s easier.
As a born-and-bred Minnesotan, I get more than my share of Canadian coinage, and usually ignore it as any cashier takes it without the blink of an eye. But the quarters are a hassle - as a stereotypical computer programmer, my breakfast and lunch each day come out of the vending machines at work, and those do NOT accept Canadian quarters. As a result, I’ve gotta stockpile them and sneak them into a pile of change whenever I pay a real person for food. (It seems so weird to get food from a person rather than a machine. I don’t know why.)
A washing machine’s coin slot had been jammed for several days. No worries, I just used another machine. Then one day I decided to see what the problem was. I got a piece of wire and extracted… two Canadian quarters! They look close, but I don’t think you can fool a vending machine with them.
I live in Washington State and I’ve found Canadian coins pretty much worthless. No one accepts them. I had a Canadian dime I tried to drop to make up the 2c difference I owed. The guy wouldn’t accept it. I know the exchange rate is weak these days, but jeez! I was tipping the guy (sort of), and he wouldn’t have it. I finally got rid of the dime in a tip jar, and I’m sure Jerry’s kids didn’t get upset.
