The email address to the USMA listserver hasn't been slightly changed, has it?
About three or four of my previous posts seem to have disappeared into the
ether!
----- Original Message -----
From: Andrew Winn
To: U.S. Metric Association
Cc: U.S. Metric Association
Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2010 9:42 PM
Subject: [USMA:47138] RE: Decimal currency & Metrication
The reason we have the dollar coin is to replace the dollar bill. They tried
with the Sacagawea dollar and now they have the new presidential dollar coins.
However, they did not stop printing the dollar bill and the coins have failed
to catch on and that's why we have this mess.
Also we don't have the dollar coin for those who prefer it. I've never been
asked whether I want my change in dollar coins or dollar bills. They just give
me dollar bills. It's not really a choice then for those of us who prefer
dollar coins. We would have to go to the bank and ask for them specifically or
get them directly from the mint. That's why I use dollar bills, but I would
prefer the coins.
The dollar bill costs less to produce than the dollar coin, but the dollar
bill lasts for less than 2 years before it has to be replaced whereas a dollar
coin could last for decades. So really in the long run it would be cheaper to
produce only dollar coins.
And if the government were serious about switching to the one dollar coin it
should introduce a two dollar coin like they have in Canada and nearly every
other country. And to lighten the load even further, the government should
start withdrawing our low value coins like the penny and nickel.
- Andrew Winn
On Thu, Apr 15, 2010 at 3:21 PM, John M. Steele <jmsteele9...@sbcglobal.net>
wrote:
Respectfully, as a "customer" of the money, I disagree.
We have the dollar coin for those who prefer it. However, if one must
carry a number of $1 denomination units, coins are over 8X heavier than bills,
occupy a slightly larger volume, and are certainly more damaging to the pants
pocket. I (strongly) prefer the bill to the coin. However, the dollar coin is
not as "hated" as the even worse half-dollar (bigger, heavier, lower value).
I get VERY little value out of most of the spending my government wastes
money on. Let me enjoy this little one.
I predict if we eliminated the $1 bill, the $2 bill would suddenly become
popular.
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From: "carlet...@comcast.net" <carlet...@comcast.net>
To: U.S. Metric Association <usma@colostate.edu>
Cc: U.S. Metric Association <usma@colostate.edu>
Sent: Thu, April 15, 2010 12:07:36 PM
Subject: [USMA:47132] RE: Decimal currency & Metrication
The US coins and the corresponding Canadian coins (through the loonie) are
pretty much the same size. The US has no equivalent to the Canadian $2 coin
(the 'toonie').
It is an incredible and unfortunate waste that the unnecessary $1 bill is
still in production, but the same mentality that hinders metrication also keeps
that bill in production.
Carleton
----- Original Message -----
From: "John M. Steele" <jmsteele9...@sbcglobal.net>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <usma@colostate.edu>
Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2010 6:32:05 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: [USMA:47129] RE: Decimal currency & Metrication
The dime (10¢ piece) is the smallest US coin. Back when we used real
silver, it was the smallest silver coin, the quarter, half dollar, and dollar
coins being larger (presumably in proportion to weight?). The penny and nickel
(5¢) were always base metals. Now, they all are. The modern dollar coin is
considerably smaller than than the silver dollar was, about the size of a
quarter, but distinctive color and edging.
The link gives info on US coin dimensions and weights. Note the utility of
the penny and nickel as cheap small balance weights.
http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/?flash=yes&action=coin_specifications
Fivel nickels and a penny roughly approximate what can be mailed at the 1
oz rate, but won't buy a stamp (44¢).
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. . . .
On 2010/04/15, at 02:30 , Tom Wade wrote:
Incidentally, which is bigger: the American 5c or 10c :-; ?
Tom Wade
