Paid with Halves

[amalekidad]

Had a teller call me today and said he had $100 in halves that someone turned in. I went and picked them up on my way to Lowe’s . Not a bad score, seven 40% halves.

When I was done getting materials, I paid with 142 half dollars. The clerk says, “I know that seven rolls is $70 and I know they are legal but, I don’t want to lose my job. I have to call my manager and ask if I can take them.” After 3 calls, 4 other women showed up to help her count “the crazy man’s coins.”

The old guy behind me in line was real upset that they dumped out the rolls to count them. He asked them if they really didn’t know how to count by tens? I showed them how a stack of 20 coins is $10 and that each stack of equal height is also $10. No going, they had to count each coin.

One of the phone calls ended with the clerk saying to the person on the other end of the line, “No, I don’t know what year they are – every year for all I know!”
Are the retailers and the general public really that dense?

BTW, the bank teller always says – “the lady that turned them in said that there are no silvers in there.“ The first coin out of the first roll was a 1969! According to Coinflation, the 7 coins that I paid $3.50 for are worth $41.48. I’ll come pickup those rolls every day!

[twentybux]

Nice pick up from the bank. Even nicer dump at Lowes!

[Pennybug]

One of the phone calls ended with the clerk saying to the person on the other end of the line, “No, I don’t know what year they are – every year for all I know!” Are the retailers and the general public really that dense?

YEP! They are that dense! I CONSTANTLY get asked "what are these?" or comments like "I cant take those". It amazes me how little people know about halves.

[slickeast]

We used one to pay a toll while we traveled. Not a problem. Others are dense. I have had a hard time using them to buy a drink at the gas station.

Good job dumping them at Lowes

[RxForPain]

Many of the younger generation have never seen a half. It is real funny to leave them as tips when you are out to eat. If you know you need something at Lowes I go to the local Coin Star for the dump and get the Lowes gift card ( It is a whole lot easier and does not cost you anything).

[Somnophore]

I don't get why you don't use halfs in the US, they aren't that big, and you use quarters a lot, halfs would make sense. When my brother moves to US later this year, I'll tell him to start spending halfs and see what reactions he gets. He's moving to Maryland.

[TwoAndAHalfCents]

I go to the local Coin Star for the dump and get the Lowes gift card

Does the the Coin Star machine dispense a Lowes gift card or does it reload a gift card that you already have?

[hirbonzig]

Used a half dollar to pay for a 50 cent purchase at a gas station and the teenage cashier thought I was paying with a dollar coin. He was all set to give me 2 quarters in change, but I was honest and told him that was a 50 cent piece and I was due no change. He looked at me and said OK in a puzzled tone. As I left the store I got the feeling he thought he just made a 50 cent tip off a crazy guy who didn't want his change back. Oh well--He will just have to give back that 50 cents when he finds out that his cash drawer is short at the end of his shift.

[RxForPain]

Does the the Coin Star machine dispense a Lowes gift card or does it reload a gift card that you already have?

It prints a receipt that has a regular gift card number and pin on it (located at the top). You just take it to Lowes and they have to key it in. Spends just like a regular gift card though and Coin Star does not take a dime for the coin dump.

Another tip about Lowes (sidebar here)... go to the post office and get a change of address kit (have to ask for them, not the Internet form) and there is a 10% off coupon located inside and it is good on purchases up to $5000. You can use it on everything they sale I believe.

[Mike]

When I pay with half dollars there are two typical reactions I get - either "Wow, I haven't seen one of these in ages" from an older person, or looks of incomprehension from teens and kids in their 20s.

I've been leaving them as tips - but usually leave a quarter next to one so the waitress can tell by size that it isn't a quarter.

[Sheikh_yer_Bu'Tay]

Bravo for you, Amalekidad!

Keep it up! I have done so loads of times in Lowes and Home Depot. I never had the experience you have with the stupid cashiers not understanding these are Constitutionally lawful money. Normally, someone within earshot will buy the coins from the cashier after I am done.

Some of the people stores hire to take money these days are so stupid they should not be allowed to reproduce! I have had to correct their counting errors many times. If you were a "quick count" con artist, you could make out pretty good.

May I suggest that next time you take your purchases straight to the Service Desk. You can make purchases there and normally the people at the counter are higher up on the store food chain. The line there is shorter and you will not have to wait for an idiot cashier to make a phone call. You may even strike up a friendship and make an arrangement to buy their bags of coins for searching.

My favorite time to use halves is when operating my dump truck. Diesel purchases and dump fees are always over a hundred dollars, so I can move some large coin fast.

[rainsonme]

The manager at Best Buy refused to accept my half dollars in payment for a camera. He told me to go to the bank and get them exchanged. I left muttering some threat that I knew I would not keep. Thriftway (grocery) refused my payment in quarters some years back --- I left my full cart of groceries for them to re-stock, went downt the block to Safeway, who happily took my quarters.

At the Oregon State Bar the clerk told me that some guy had paid his bar fees (many hundreds of dollars) all in pennies, and she said they spent all day counting them ---- I told her mnay banks have counting machines that would make it much faster ---- then I told her she needed to find a good lawyer to find out if she was really obligated to take payment in that form.

[Kurr]

I would say yes, because paying the tab was a "debt", while the groceries were a "transaction". They can choose the currency for a transaction, but "legal tender" is for all "debts" both public and private.

[Sheikh_yer_Bu'Tay]

I would say yes, because paying the tab was a "debt", while the groceries were a "transaction". They can choose the currency for a transaction, but "legal tender" is for all "debts" both public and private.

Kurr has put it in a nice way. If you owe a debt, halves are legal tender to pay that debt. Say you pump gas and then pay with halves. They can't turn you down because the gas is already in the tank. Same thing with a meal at a restaurant. What are they going to do? Demand you return the meal? Ha! Go pay your mortgage, electric bill, whatever, with halves.

I have never had anyone turn me down when I have paid with halves. Neither in debts or transactions.