Place: Ba Xuyen
Number of coins: 8
Accepted: Yes
Two banh mi's at Ba Xuyen - I pay with 8 dollar coins. The banh mi lady (always the same one) puts them in the cash register. Then, she takes them out, and gives them to a guy working there - apparently so they don't get given out as change. Then she tells me "they're so beautiful!"
Friday, May 27, 2011
4/20
Place: Four and Twenty Blackbirds
Number of coins: 14
Accepted: Yes
The nice thing about paying with dollar coins is that you can arrange them in a 4x3+2 grid for easy counting.
Number of coins: 14
Accepted: Yes
The nice thing about paying with dollar coins is that you can arrange them in a 4x3+2 grid for easy counting.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
KimchiTaco
Place: Kimchi Taco Truck
Number of coins: 17
Accepted: Yes
I counted out the 17 coins, and then the nice person in the truck likewise counted them, looking a little confused at the variations between the coins. "Are these all dollar coins?"
Heard from behind me: "Did you rob a bank?"
I should have said "Yes. But don't tell anyone. It's a secret."
Number of coins: 17
Accepted: Yes
I counted out the 17 coins, and then the nice person in the truck likewise counted them, looking a little confused at the variations between the coins. "Are these all dollar coins?"
Heard from behind me: "Did you rob a bank?"
I should have said "Yes. But don't tell anyone. It's a secret."
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Max & Mina's
Place: Max & Mina's Ice Cream
Number of coins: 9
Accepted: Yes
This time, they had a special flavor - not displayed on the boards because it's too potentially scandalous - which we ordered as one of three for our pint of ice cream. Upon payment, I pointed out "check 'em out, all different" "wow yeah, cool" "check that one out, looks like a crack pipe" "yes it does!"
Number of coins: 9
Accepted: Yes
This time, they had a special flavor - not displayed on the boards because it's too potentially scandalous - which we ordered as one of three for our pint of ice cream. Upon payment, I pointed out "check 'em out, all different" "wow yeah, cool" "check that one out, looks like a crack pipe" "yes it does!"
New Golden Sichuan
Place: Golden Sichuan
Number of Coins: 10 (plus other bills)
Accepted: Yes
Placed down with all of our other money for payment. The (always funny) waiter says "ooh! gold coins for me!"
Number of Coins: 10 (plus other bills)
Accepted: Yes
Placed down with all of our other money for payment. The (always funny) waiter says "ooh! gold coins for me!"
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Xi'an
Place: Xi'an Famous Foods (St Marks)
Number of coins: 16
Accepted: Yes, gladly
Feed the mouth! Feed the meter!
Number of coins: 16
Accepted: Yes, gladly
Feed the mouth! Feed the meter!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Downtown Bakery
Place: Downtown Mexican Bakery
Number of coins: 20
Accepted: Yes
I said "I've got a $20 bill or 20 $1 coins, which do you want?" "It's all good to me!"
Number of coins: 20
Accepted: Yes
I said "I've got a $20 bill or 20 $1 coins, which do you want?" "It's all good to me!"
SRD
Samuel Delany, in one of his autobiographical works, commented that upon entering a "miscegenistic" relationship and marriage with Marilyn Hacker, many people warned them that they would encounter many problems due to being a "mixed-race" marriage. He said, however, that the biggest problem they ever encountered was that people were constantly tell them that they would encounter problems.
Similarly, retailers don't like to give dollar coins as change because they think consumers won't want them - and consumers won't spend them because they think retailers will not accept them.
Similarly, retailers don't like to give dollar coins as change because they think consumers won't want them - and consumers won't spend them because they think retailers will not accept them.
4&20
Place: Four and Twenty Blackbirds
Number of coins: 14
Accepted: Yes
Noted interest: Yes
This time, the woman manning the cash register said "Ooh, these are fun!" I explained how there were different kinds. After I left, she showed them to her coworkers.
While she was cutting the pies, I laid out my payment on the table in a grid of 4x3 coins, with 2 extra coins. It's actually easier to count these than dollar bills if you do it that way.
Number of coins: 14
Accepted: Yes
Noted interest: Yes
This time, the woman manning the cash register said "Ooh, these are fun!" I explained how there were different kinds. After I left, she showed them to her coworkers.
While she was cutting the pies, I laid out my payment on the table in a grid of 4x3 coins, with 2 extra coins. It's actually easier to count these than dollar bills if you do it that way.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Coin Roster
A few people have asked which dollar coins I'm using in these transactions. I currently have five, all being distributed randomly: The Sacagawea 2011 Peace Pipe, Abraham Lincoln, James Madison, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson.
Xi'an
Place: Xi'an Famous Foods (St Marks)
Number of coins: 9
Accepted: Yes, gladly
Again, we discussed the merits of being a pirate who needs to put change into the parking meters. I suggested if he really wanted some he could order them at the mint website. His response: "I think as long as you're still coming here I'll have enough".
Number of coins: 9
Accepted: Yes, gladly
Again, we discussed the merits of being a pirate who needs to put change into the parking meters. I suggested if he really wanted some he could order them at the mint website. His response: "I think as long as you're still coming here I'll have enough".
Korilla BBQ (backdated)
Place: Korilla BBQ
Number of coins: 16
Accepted: Yes
Two burritos, 16 dollar coins. The response: "Money is money!"
Number of coins: 16
Accepted: Yes
Two burritos, 16 dollar coins. The response: "Money is money!"
Birdbath (backdated)
Place: Bird Bath Bakery
Number of coins: 11
Accepted: Yes
The just-opened bird bath bakery was more than happy to accept payment in dollar coins for some ginger azuki rice milk cupcakes, muffins, and a pretzel crossaint.
Number of coins: 11
Accepted: Yes
The just-opened bird bath bakery was more than happy to accept payment in dollar coins for some ginger azuki rice milk cupcakes, muffins, and a pretzel crossaint.
Max & Mina's 2 (backdated)
Place: Max & Mina's Ice Cream
Number of coins: 9
Accepted: Yes, requested!
Back at M&M's, feeling discouraged slightly from the Tuck Shop experience, I try to pay with a $20 bill. The man working there asks "don't you have anything smaller?"... I offer the dollar coins, which he gladly accepts.
This is more my expected reaction - most businesses prefer any kind of small change to large bills, as they frequently run out of change.
Number of coins: 9
Accepted: Yes, requested!
Back at M&M's, feeling discouraged slightly from the Tuck Shop experience, I try to pay with a $20 bill. The man working there asks "don't you have anything smaller?"... I offer the dollar coins, which he gladly accepts.
This is more my expected reaction - most businesses prefer any kind of small change to large bills, as they frequently run out of change.
The Tuck Shop (backdated)
Place: The Tuck Shop
Number of coins: 12
Accepted: No!
The first problematic transaction - Australian pies! Upon counting out the coins, the store minder simply said "what's this?" "Dollar coins" "... really?"
It turns out that he doesn't think he can use them - and he says that no one will accept them for change. I paid with a $20 bill and received a bunch of singles.
Number of coins: 12
Accepted: No!
The first problematic transaction - Australian pies! Upon counting out the coins, the store minder simply said "what's this?" "Dollar coins" "... really?"
It turns out that he doesn't think he can use them - and he says that no one will accept them for change. I paid with a $20 bill and received a bunch of singles.
Max & Mina's 1 (backdated)
Place: Max & Mina's Ice Cream
Number of coins: 9
Accepted: Yes
A pint of ice cream to go - probably including some "beer and cookies" flavor, as well as whatever else was interesting - was purchased no differently than it had been with bills, in the past.
Number of coins: 9
Accepted: Yes
A pint of ice cream to go - probably including some "beer and cookies" flavor, as well as whatever else was interesting - was purchased no differently than it had been with bills, in the past.
4 & 20 + 1 (backdated)
Place: Four and Twenty Blackbirds
Number of coins: 9
Accepted: Yes
Buying two slices of pie at this place was again easy, but I happened to notice some dollar coins in the cash register this time. Were they mine, from the previous visit?
Number of coins: 9
Accepted: Yes
Buying two slices of pie at this place was again easy, but I happened to notice some dollar coins in the cash register this time. Were they mine, from the previous visit?
The Meatball Shop 3 (backdated)
Place: The Meatball Shop
Number of coins: 5
Accepted: yes
Time for another ice cream sandwich here. This time, while paying, the cashier said "oh, so it's you with the dollar coins!" Could I be the only one? I pointed out to him that the coins were all different - "Check out the Sacagawea one with the crack pipe on the back". He showed his coworker, "yeah, that's a crack pipe!" He was so interested in the coins that I told him where to order them from. Score one for the US mint's plan to create interest in the dollar coin?
Number of coins: 5
Accepted: yes
Time for another ice cream sandwich here. This time, while paying, the cashier said "oh, so it's you with the dollar coins!" Could I be the only one? I pointed out to him that the coins were all different - "Check out the Sacagawea one with the crack pipe on the back". He showed his coworker, "yeah, that's a crack pipe!" He was so interested in the coins that I told him where to order them from. Score one for the US mint's plan to create interest in the dollar coin?
xi'an (backdated)
Place: Xi'an Famous Foods, St Marks location
Number of coins: 16
Accepted: Yes
An order of noodles, some soup, and a burger. The son-owner manning the cash register said "I feel like a pirate with all of these gold coins", adding that he actually liked them because he could use them at parking meters (which, in NYC, only accept $1.00 and $0.25 coins).
Number of coins: 16
Accepted: Yes
An order of noodles, some soup, and a burger. The son-owner manning the cash register said "I feel like a pirate with all of these gold coins", adding that he actually liked them because he could use them at parking meters (which, in NYC, only accept $1.00 and $0.25 coins).
4 & 20 (backdated)
Place: Four and Twenty Blackbirds
Number of coins: 14
Accepted: Yes
Buying three slices of pie at this place actually was as easy as pie.
Number of coins: 14
Accepted: Yes
Buying three slices of pie at this place actually was as easy as pie.
The Meatball Shop 2 (backdated)
Place: The Meatball Shop
Number of coins: 5
Accepted: yes
Stopped by this place on the way home a few days after the first visit, and just purchased an ice cream sandwich this time. I noticed, when paying, that there was a pile of dollar coins sitting in the cash register. Could they be mine?
Number of coins: 5
Accepted: yes
Stopped by this place on the way home a few days after the first visit, and just purchased an ice cream sandwich this time. I noticed, when paying, that there was a pile of dollar coins sitting in the cash register. Could they be mine?
Russo's (backdated)
Place: Russo's Pasta
Number of coins: 16(?)
Accepted: Yes
Two boxes of ravioli, purchased with only coins. The cash register man looked amused, so I asked "do you like these?" and he said "my boss, he loves these. He says, when he gets a million of them, he's gonna retire".
Number of coins: 16(?)
Accepted: Yes
Two boxes of ravioli, purchased with only coins. The cash register man looked amused, so I asked "do you like these?" and he said "my boss, he loves these. He says, when he gets a million of them, he's gonna retire".
The Meatball Shop 1 (backdated)
Place: The Meatball Shop (on Stanton)
Number of coins: 16
Accepted: Yes
Time for a larger purchase. Two meatball heroes at the Meatball Shop, purchased in dollar coins. Nothing noteworthy happened.
Number of coins: 16
Accepted: Yes
Time for a larger purchase. Two meatball heroes at the Meatball Shop, purchased in dollar coins. Nothing noteworthy happened.
Red Hook Ballfields (backdated)
The place: The Redhook Ballfields
Number of coins: 8, 5
Accepted: Yes
My second major purchase (and, technically, third as well) happened at the Red Hook Ballfields. $8 for a quesahuarache at one truck, and $5 for pupusas as another truck were spent without any comment or real reaction.
Number of coins: 8, 5
Accepted: Yes
My second major purchase (and, technically, third as well) happened at the Red Hook Ballfields. $8 for a quesahuarache at one truck, and $5 for pupusas as another truck were spent without any comment or real reaction.
Ba Xuyen (backdated)
The place: Ba Xuyen
Number of coins: 8
Accepted: Yes
Ba Xuyen is a deli mostly known for its cheap and good banh mi sandwiches. It's located in Sunset Park in Brooklyn, which is far off the beaten path for pretty much anyone who doesn't actually live around there. I go there as often as I can - two sandwiches cost $8, so would I be able to pay with 8 presidentials?
The answer is yes - and in imperfect English, the feedback I got on the handfull of golden coins was "so pretty!"
Number of coins: 8
Accepted: Yes
Ba Xuyen is a deli mostly known for its cheap and good banh mi sandwiches. It's located in Sunset Park in Brooklyn, which is far off the beaten path for pretty much anyone who doesn't actually live around there. I go there as often as I can - two sandwiches cost $8, so would I be able to pay with 8 presidentials?
The answer is yes - and in imperfect English, the feedback I got on the handfull of golden coins was "so pretty!"
The dollar coin goal
America has had a troubled history with dollar coins (melodrama intentional). According to the US Mint website, the dollar was originally a coin - in fact, the word derives from the German word 'thaler', meaning "silver coin". Reading between the lines at the FAQ there, particularly "Would the use of the Golden Dollar in lieu of the paper dollar save money and if yes why doesn’t the United States Mint eliminate the paper dollar?", it's easy to imagine the bureaucratic rivalry between the US Mint and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, who are responsible for printing dollar bills. This is in addition to any conspiracies floating around involving the Save The Greenback people and Coin Coalition.
In the 1990s, dollar coins (the older Susan B types) were being used in vending machines. It was decided to create a new dollar coin to fill this need, as the stockpile of Susan B's - from around 1980! - was running low. In fact, in 1999, some more Susan Bs were "emergency minted".
In 2000, the Mint finally released the Sacagawea dollar coin, to much fanfare. Actually, the program was a failure - according to this BBC article, over 1 billion dollar coins are being stockpiled by the government and are not in circulation.
In 2007, inspired by the 'success' of the 50 states quarters program, the Mint started the Presidential coin series, in which a different president is honored on a dollar coin every three months. Similarly, in 2009, the Native American coin series was started.
I was personally unaware of any of this, until I received a James Buchanan dollar coin as part of my change for a purchase at Crumbs Bakery. "Interesting!", I thought, as a somewhat casual coin collector, only interested in types of coins as a representation of history (ooh! a 1943 steel penny!) rather than a pedantic every-single-variation collection. It was a while after this that I noticed that the US Mint has a program whereby you can buy 250 dollar coins, at cost, with no shipping cost, and have them sent to your home. They only have a few varities, but it provided for an interesting experiment:
I would purchase some of these coins, and attempt to spend them in my daily transactions. The purpose of this blog is to document how that goes.
I'll start out with some back-dated entries until I've caught up.
In the 1990s, dollar coins (the older Susan B types) were being used in vending machines. It was decided to create a new dollar coin to fill this need, as the stockpile of Susan B's - from around 1980! - was running low. In fact, in 1999, some more Susan Bs were "emergency minted".
In 2000, the Mint finally released the Sacagawea dollar coin, to much fanfare. Actually, the program was a failure - according to this BBC article, over 1 billion dollar coins are being stockpiled by the government and are not in circulation.
In 2007, inspired by the 'success' of the 50 states quarters program, the Mint started the Presidential coin series, in which a different president is honored on a dollar coin every three months. Similarly, in 2009, the Native American coin series was started.
I was personally unaware of any of this, until I received a James Buchanan dollar coin as part of my change for a purchase at Crumbs Bakery. "Interesting!", I thought, as a somewhat casual coin collector, only interested in types of coins as a representation of history (ooh! a 1943 steel penny!) rather than a pedantic every-single-variation collection. It was a while after this that I noticed that the US Mint has a program whereby you can buy 250 dollar coins, at cost, with no shipping cost, and have them sent to your home. They only have a few varities, but it provided for an interesting experiment:
I would purchase some of these coins, and attempt to spend them in my daily transactions. The purpose of this blog is to document how that goes.
I'll start out with some back-dated entries until I've caught up.
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