Posted on 02/11/2007 3:01:28 AM PST by BenLurkin
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Two recent efforts to promote wide usage of a dollar coin proved unsuccessful. But maybe Susan B. Anthony and Sacagawea should not take public rejection personally. It's not easy overcoming people's indifference to dollar coins, even those honoring such historic figures.
An AP-Ipsos poll found that three-fourths of people surveyed oppose replacing the dollar bill, featuring George Washington, with a dollar coin. People are split evenly on the idea of having both a dollar bill and a dollar coin.
A new version of the coin, paying tribute to American presidents, goes into general circulation Thursday. Even though doing away with the bill could save hundreds of millions of dollars each year in printing costs, there is no plan to scrap the bill in favor of the more durable coin.
"I really don't see any use for it," Larry Ashbaugh, a retiree from Bristolville, Ohio, said of the dollar coin. "We tried it before. It didn't fly."
A quarter-century ago, the dollar coin showed feminist Susan B. Anthony on the front; then one in 2000 featuring Sacagawea, the Shoshone Indian who helped guide the Lewis and Clark expedition.
The latest dollar coin will bear Washington's image, followed later this year by those of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. A different president will appear on the golden dollar coins every three months.
People have strong feelings about their money, even the penny, which occasionally is threatened with elimination.
When people were asked whether the penny should be eliminated, 71 percent said no, according to the poll of 1,000 adults conducted Nov. 28-30 that had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Some fear that getting rid of the penny will cause product prices to be rounded up, perhaps increasing inflation.
Well thats all fine and good for you, but my .79 cent bean burrito and my .69 cent soft taco will now be costing me a dollar. That would just ruin me. LOL.
I am 100% in favor of replacing the paper dollar bill with a coin. I dislike having to pull out my wallet for a buck. A dollar is pocket change.
LOL, that's worked out just like a "paperless society" at work. Except for using email instead of memos on desks, it's just the same old, same old.
I hate the dollar coins. They're heavy and a pain to carry around. I'll stick with dollar bills, thank you.
How many dollar bills do you carry? I seldom have more than 3 or 4. Not heavy at all.
Excellent idea. Or at the very least issue 5 coins, each with the emblem of one of the armed forces on it.
I usually end up carrying between 5 and 10. Not good if you have to use coins.
Perhaps the government should just stop printing more 1-dollar bills. Duh!
I second that idea!
" Well thats all fine and good for you, but my .79 cent bean burrito and my .69 cent soft taco will now be costing me a dollar. That would just ruin me. LOL."
Probably not, but little items like taxes and interest rates would also round up...
These "rounding windfalls" don't amount to a whole lot on any given transaction, but multiplied by the number of transactions even an individual makes in a given period of time, it's significant.
(Don't think so?? when you record your transactions in your checkbook, round each amount up to the next even nickel, and see how much you've 'saved' in a couple of months....)
If I had 10 ones, it would mean I was setting at my favorite watering hole tipping the dancers.
Try tipping dancers with dollar coins! Very rude.
Especially if you try to use the slot!
I’d never try for “The Slot”! - The dancers I sometimes tip are friends and neighbors, and I want to keep them that way!
I have used the dollar coins, and none have objected yet. They like them - they aren’t beer soaked or torn.
The dollar coin is only good for wearing holes in trouser pockets.
It looks like one of those fake "collector edition" coins you got in a box of Cheerios years ago.
The gold tone coloring makes it look more like a subway token (remember those?!?!) than currency.
They should make dollar coins out of silver IMHO - obviously not a troy oz., but about a dollar's worth...
That would be 1% inflation on the Tyson yard bird sandwich.
"Try tipping dancers with dollar coins! Very rude."
...lick em' and stick em'...it's been done (I hear)...
...and call it the "Gipper".
Is it made of soy beans or cardboard?
I'm sure we'll all be expected to carry change purses.
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