Melting coins ruled illegal

[Miulang]

Re: Melting coins ruled illegal

How about making paper denominations for coins? It would be an all paper form of currency. Smart cards are great but I doubt currency will ever go away completely since many of us don't trust big-brother keeping track of our electronic transactions.

We're probably going to have to redesign our paper currency anyway, to accommodate our Braille readers and to comply with ADA guidelines (the White House is appealing the ruling).

Miulang

[Surfingfarmboy]

Re: Melting coins ruled illegal

How about making paper denominations for coins? It would be an all paper form of currency.

The US did issue paper currency, ranging in value from 3 cents to 50 cents, during the coin shortage of the 1860's. Those into numismatics and currency collecting refer to these issues as "fractional currency". While I myself am not much of a currency collector (coins are my forte) I do possess a 50 cent note as part of my collection.

[joshuatree]

Re: Melting coins ruled illegal

We're probably going to have to redesign our paper currency anyway, to accommodate our Braille readers and to comply with ADA guidelines (the White House is appealing the ruling).

Miulang

They noted the existence of portable reading devices that the blind can use to determine the denomination of paper money. The government said the blind can also use credit cards instead of currency.

ROTFL, how user friendly is a credit card to the blind? That's almost as funny as seeing braille on the ATM machines in the bank's drive-thru lanes.

I've seen some foreign currency that's pretty ingenious. The Australian Dollar doesn't use braille but instead, it has various lengths. They all have the same width but the $5 bill is the shortest and it increments in length up to the $100.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Melting coins ruled illegal

ROTFL, how user friendly is a credit card to the blind?

Close your eyes and run your finger across the embossed numbers of your credit card. Can you tell what the individual numbers are?

So can the blind, who can use said credit card online, too.

[joshuatree]

Re: Melting coins ruled illegal

The US did issue paper currency, ranging in value from 3 cents to 50 cents, during the coin shortage of the 1860's. Those into numismatics and currency collecting refer to these issues as "fractional currency". While I myself am not much of a currency collector (coins are my forte) I do possess a 50 cent note as part of my collection.

That's pretty cool, think the oldest note I have in my collection is a dollar bill from the 1940s. I think going back to all paper currency has its merits. From a vending machine manufacturer, it will cut costs for them as they only have to develop a paper currency reader and can forgo the coin portion. And printing on paper is much cheaper than minting new coins.

Close your eyes and run your finger across the embossed numbers of your credit card. Can you tell what the individual numbers are?

So can the blind, who can use said credit card online, too.

Leo, that isn't the part I'm concerned with. It's the credit card receipt/draft that is presented to the blind. How will that person know if he/she has not been taken for a ride?

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Melting coins ruled illegal

Leo, that isn't the part I'm concerned with. It's the credit card receipt/draft that is presented to the blind. How will that person know if he/she has not been taken for a ride?

Not like we sighted people are that well protected. Ever heard of someone ripping off a credit card number at a store or restaurant, after giving a person a normal receipt? I doubt anyone with an iota of intelligence would try to pull a fast one on a blind person by overcharging them - what's to stop the blind shopper from just turning to someone else (accompanying them, or just the next person nearby) to ask "excuse me, but can you tell me the total charge listed here?" Imagine the uproar - not only do you get busted for ripping someone off, but also for taking advantage of a blind person!

Then again, those who pull that kind of stunt aren't known for their "iotas of intelligence," are they.

Blind people have many ways that they can protect themselves from being taken advantage of. (We need akrauth in this conversation now - Alex, where are ya?)

[joshuatree]

Re: Melting coins ruled illegal

Leo, that's exactly my point and why I laughed at the gov't reply that the blind can use credit cards. Even sighted folks get ripped off. The gov't response sounds so Marie Antoinette. "Oh the poor have no bread, well let them eat cake."

I really don't see why the gov't is so against remaking the American currency. They cite cost, but it happens every few years anyways as they always increase and change security features. What's so hard about adding a little more user friendliness for the blind in the next iteration of 20s, 50s, 100s, etc?

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Melting coins ruled illegal

Bet it be a fun job. "What do you do for a living?" "I make money." "Don't we all try to?" "No, really."

Yup. My grandfather went to prison for making big money.

About a quarter of an inch too big <rim shot>

Sorry, that had to be said.

How about making paper denominations for coins? It would be an all paper form of currency. Smart cards are great but I doubt currency will ever go away completely since many of us don't trust big-brother keeping track of our electronic transactions.

No support. The problem with paper is it doesn't last. The government spends too much effort replacing it when it ages. Coins last until they are lost in the couch or collected.

In Japan you don't see paper money until you reach 1000 yen (about $10 US).

The vending machine folks would probably love to ditch bill changes for $1 and $5 coins.

[joshuatree]

Re: Melting coins ruled illegal

No support. The problem with paper is it doesn't last. The government spends too much effort replacing it when it ages. Coins last until they are lost in the couch or collected.

In Japan you don't see paper money until you reach 1000 yen (about $10 US).

The vending machine folks would probably love to ditch bill changes for $1 and $5 coins.

I think if paper is switched to polymers (plastic), that problem will be resolved. Australia invented a type of polymer that they now use for their money. It's resistant to tear, soil, folding, and waterproof. You can throw one into the washing machine and it comes out looking the same, not faded. I tried!

Neither Japan nor the US currency is using polymers. Guess the downside is that they feel more slippery because of their plastic content, also probably why Australia don't use braille for the blind but instead use varying lengths of bills to indicate denominations.

Why would you say vending machine folks prefer coins over bills? I've once sat at a laundromat waiting for my clothes and I watched the owner collect the coins from the machine. It looked tedious as he used a machine first to count the coins, then had to lug these heavy sacks to his car. I'm sure a wad of bills be a lot easier and less noisy too when the machine counts them.