I was sitting in my recliner cogitating about Christmas gift buying which involves the spending of money unless you make them all yourself. That would undoubtedly be a good thing to do, but no one would want anything I made, and I would most likely have us lose a bunch of friends. The Blonde in the house would not like that as it is the Christmas season after all. As I thought about all the coins that are spent during the present season, believe it or not my thoughts went to the U.S. Government. To be precise the U.S. Mint!
Not too many years ago a Federal official came up with a good idea. It does happen you know. The idea in this case revolved around the fact that dollar bills are just as expensive to make as say a hundred dollar bill. However, because they don’t last very long and are pretty germy after being handled so much, the Federal official’s idea was to replace them with a dollar coin. Coins last just about forever as is evident from all the Roman, Greek, Egyptian and other coins that are found and used in jewelry or whatever. (Some even are in museums).
Unfortunately, as often happens the idea went up the ladder and landed in higher bureaucracy. Certain folks found out about it and complained as “for heaven’s sake look at all the dispensing machines that would have to be modified to take a dollar coin.” Then there was the fact that people would not want to carry around a big coin in their pockets as it would be bothersome. It was not recognized that for hundreds of years people happily carried silver dollars, gold dollars and even half dollars in their pockets. Heck, when I was a kid and was lucky enough to have a nice big half dollar in my pocket, I thought I was the richest kid on the block. Actually I may have been, but not for long as there were ten cent comic books to buy not to mention a good double feature movie for the same price.
Regrettably, those who made the decision either had short memories or were very young because the decision was to make a dollar coin, but the argument held sway that people would not want to carry a large coin around – and it would require dispensing machine modifications. They did put a noble woman, Susan B. Anthony, on the coin. It is also true that many people today do not know who she was, but when the coins were first made more folks did know so all was good in that area. The officials pontificated among much publicity that a dollar coin would be minted and much money would be saved over the years.
As we all know the dollar coin ended up the same size approximately as a quarter. The official word was that would be no problem as the coins would be gold colored and the edges would not be round. That, of course, did not work and worked even less when the Susan’s were made the same color as a quarter. The bad news in all this is that we still have to use the germy dollar bills which do not last long. The good news is that the coins will probably last forever as no one uses them. The banks do have to keep some in the odd event that someone wants some of them.
I did not do a scientific study on this, but using my keen observation powers, the only use I have seen is when they are used by automobile dealers. They put out ads that indicate if you come and just look at their 600 hp SUV with soft seats that they will give you five gold coins. That type of activity is what brought the subject up. The Blonde in the house and I decided one day to go and actually look at a car in which we had some interest. We got the five Susan’s, but only two of them were gold and the others were silver. Regardless, they all looked like quarters.
I wonder if the Feds would ever consider making a larger coin, or perhaps consider what the English do with their pound coin which is small, but thicker than other coins. Nah! My problem right now is what do I do with the five Susan’s I have. If I put them in my pocket, I will most likely spend them as quarters. If I leave them for a tip, the server will most likely look at my retreating back and mutter, “that cheapskate left me a bunch of quarters!”
I will find a way even if I have to take them to the bank and demand a five dollar bill! At least the five dollar bill is not quite as germy as the one dollar bill.
Barry Evans writes about Life in The Villages for Villages-News.com.
