OK Smartypants coin nerds.....

saintguru · August 25, 2006 5:35AM

How come the mint made 1c, 2c, 3c, 5c...but NO 4c coins?

Leiana · August 25, 2006 5:37AM

Because they never needed to give change for a Stella.

-Amanda

tmot99 · August 25, 2006 5:38AM

Postage stamps were never 4 cents?

mercurydimeguy · August 25, 2006 5:40AM

There were no 4 cent stamps

Russ · August 25, 2006 5:41AM

There were 4¢ postage stamps.

Russ, NCNE

mercurydimeguy · August 25, 2006 5:41AM

Tmot99, no fair...I got a call and forgot to hit "reply to thread"

ziggy29 · August 25, 2006 5:42AM

<< How come the mint made 1c, 2c, 3c, 5c...but NO 4c coins? >>

I believe the $4 Stella was originally intended to "compete" with other similarly-valued foreign pieces. (Congress seemed to have a thing about competing with foreign money back then; first the Trade Dollar, then the Stella...)

I guess there was no call for a coin worth about four cents to compete worldwide.

And it wouldn't have been stamps. Regular postage didn't hit 4 cents until 1958. By that time the coin lineup was streamlined and most denominations were well-established. (Though it would have been a good excuse to get another dead president on a coin.)

Leiana · August 25, 2006 5:43AM

Yes there were 4 cent stamps.

-Amanda

numobri · August 25, 2006 5:44AM

SEE

These smartypants ARE smart.

Brian

LanLord · August 25, 2006 5:44AM

<< How come the mint made 1c, 2c, 3c, 5c...but NO 4c coins?

>>

Is this in response to my post about 4cent piece to go with the stellas in 1879 and 1880?

OKbustchaser · August 25, 2006 5:47AM

no 4 cent postage stamps until 1909 by which time postmasters had learned to make change.

Edited to add: I need to quit working and instead hit the reply key quicker.

Leiana · August 25, 2006 5:48AM

<< no 4 cent postage stamps until 1909 by which time postmasters had learned to make change.

>>

My link above has one from 1883.

-Amanda

OKbustchaser · August 25, 2006 5:50AM

<< 

<< no 4 cent postage stamps until 1909 by which time postmasters had learned to make change.

>>

My link above has one from 1883.

-Amanda >>

Ok little miss, I hang my head in shame.

saintguru · August 25, 2006 5:52AM

so far nothing but losers.

And I see no correlation to Stellas, so get off of that road.

numobri · August 25, 2006 5:53AM

Me also

Brian

66RB · August 25, 2006 5:53AM

The 'Guru' coin nerd doesn't already know this?

I thought you had to be a smartypants to collect Saints?

Gemineye · August 25, 2006 5:54AM

<< 

<< 

<< no 4 cent postage stamps until 1909 by which time postmasters had learned to make change.

>>

My link above has one from 1883.

-Amanda >>

Ok little miss, I hang my head in shame.

>>

One smart cookie............

66RB · August 25, 2006 5:54AM

nevermind, I see you are neither a Saint or a Guru

ziggy29 · August 25, 2006 5:58AM

A little geeky reading about making the most efficient denominations.

Computer scientist Jeffrey Shallit of the University of Waterloo has worked out an answer. In the current issue of the Mathematical Intelligencer, he contends that "what the U.S. needs is an 18-cent piece."

In finding coin denominations that minimize the average cost of making change, Shallit assumed that every amount of change between 0 and 99 cents is equally likely. For the current four-denomination system, he found that, on average, a change-maker must return 4.70 coins with every transaction.

He discovered two sets of four denominations that minimize the transaction cost. The combination of 1 cent, 5 cents, 18 cents, and 25 cents requires only 3.89 coins in change per transaction, as does the combination of 1 cent, 5 cents, 18 cents, and 29 cents.

saintguru · August 25, 2006 6:04AM

<< nevermind, I see you are neither a Saint or a Guru

>>

Gemineye · August 25, 2006 6:06AM

Ziggy29 I just read that myself......

Aegis3 · August 25, 2006 6:07AM

<< He discovered two sets of four denominations that minimize the transaction cost. The combination of 1 cent, 5 cents, 18 cents, and 25 cents requires only 3.89 coins in change per transaction, as does the combination of 1 cent, 5 cents, 18 cents, and 29 cents. >>

Yeah, it's really easy to add 29 and 18 cent units in our heads quickly. Let's see the cashiers do that.

Easier would be to introduce the negative cent coin. That way, if a bill comes to $x.01, one can pay with an x-dollar bill and receive a negative cent in change! :)

Leiana · August 25, 2006 6:07AM

What would be the point of a 4 cent coin? Three cents and two cents were never popular. If one has nickels and cents (made much easier with the small cents) one needs little else for small change.

-Amanda

ziggy29 · August 25, 2006 6:08AM

<< Ziggy29 I just read that myself......

>>

Funny thing is, this could have very well been one of the lab projects I had to design, code and calculate efficiencies on in my college Algorithms class...

ziggy29 · August 25, 2006 6:09AM

<< Easier would be to introduce the negative cent coin. That way, if a bill comes to $x.01, one can pay with an x-dollar bill and receive a negative cent in change! :) >>

All I know is, if I'm paying cash somewhere and I don't have any change, it's $4.01 and when I DO have change, it's $3.99.

saintguru · August 25, 2006 6:12AM

<< What would be the point of a 4 cent coin? Three cents and two cents were never popular. If one has nickels and cents (made much easier with the small cents) one needs little else for small change.

-Amanda >>

Yeah...and the 2c and 3c were stupid too...yet they made them. What was the point? What about the .20c? No point, either. Still doesn't address the question, Mandy.

But why no 4c?? I have all day.

richardshipp · August 25, 2006 6:14AM

How about.... umm.... hmmm.....

A) There weren't enough slots in the cash register drawers.

4's don't look good in any font

C) lV might have been confused as an N

D) Difficulties in classifying them as "first strike"

E) OK, I Don't Know, Just Show Me The Answer

IGWT · August 25, 2006 6:17AM

For the same reason that the Mint didn't produce 6 or 8 cent coins. It didn't produce 7 or 9 cent coins for an altogether different reason.

MacCrimmon · August 25, 2006 6:17AM

<< 

<< What would be the point of a 4 cent coin? Three cents and two cents were never popular. If one has nickels and cents (made much easier with the small cents) one needs little else for small change.

-Amanda >>

Yeah...and the 2c and 3c were stupid too...yet they made them. What was the point? What about the .20c? No point, either. Still doesn't address the question, Mandy.

But why no 4c?? I have all day.

>>

The nickel lobby already had secured the nickel? They got it by cutting a deal with the copper lobby not to bribe anyone on a 4-cent piece. There you have it.

Leiana · August 25, 2006 6:20AM

<< 

<< What would be the point of a 4 cent coin? Three cents and two cents were never popular. If one has nickels and cents (made much easier with the small cents) one needs little else for small change.

-Amanda >>

Yeah...and the 2c and 3c were stupid too...yet they made them. What was the point? What about the .20c? No point, either. Still doesn't address the question, Mandy.

But why no 4c?? I have all day.

>>

Okay- The REAL answer. 4 cent pieces never fit into any politician's agenda.

-Amanda

TAClough · August 25, 2006 6:22AM

<< Ok little miss, I hang my head in shame. >>

OKbustchaser - Don't feel bad, the younger generation can run circles with computers around us old farts. But remember in the end that "youth and inexperience" will always lose against "age and treachery"

OKbustchaser · August 25, 2006 6:27AM

<< 

Okay- The REAL answer. 4 cent pieces never fit into any politician's agenda.

-Amanda >>

And here we have a winner.

OKbustchaser · August 25, 2006 6:29AM

<< 

<< Ok little miss, I hang my head in shame. >>

OKbustchaser - Don't feel bad, the younger generation can run circles with computers around us old farts. But remember in the end that "youth and inexperience" will always lose against "age and treachery"

>>

robertpr · August 25, 2006 6:33AM

They intentionally skipped the 4¢ piece to make people ask stupid questions. Mission accomplished.

Leiana · August 25, 2006 6:34AM

<< They intentionally skipped the 4¢ piece to make people ask stupid questions. Mission accomplished. >>

-Amanda

saintguru · August 25, 2006 8:43AM

<< They intentionally skipped the 4¢ piece to make people ask stupid questions. Mission accomplished. >>

About as accomplished as you getting the roadrunner!

Leiana · August 25, 2006 8:46AM

-Amanda

RichieURich · August 25, 2006 11:24AM

I'm still betting on the Roadrunner!

majorbigtime · August 25, 2006 11:26AM

<< Because they never needed to give change for a Stella.

-Amanda >>

Cute answer!

messydesk · August 25, 2006 11:26AM

Because Congress never passed a law requiring them to do so.

TwoSides2aCoin · August 25, 2006 11:31AM

two bits
four bits
six bits a dollar

all four cent pieces stand up and holler !

That's why

Longacre · August 25, 2006 11:48AM

Congress never wrote the enabling legislation.

Edit: Arrg. I see messydesk beat me to it!

saintguru · August 25, 2006 11:53AM

<< two bits
four bits
six bits a dollar

all four cent pieces stand up and holler !

That's why

>>

a bit is an 1/8 of a dollar!

Leiana · August 25, 2006 12:01PM

<< 

<< Because they never needed to give change for a Stella.

-Amanda >>

Cute answer! >>

Cute?

Thanks.

-Amanda

messydesk · August 25, 2006 12:43PM

<< Congress never wrote the enabling legislation.

Edit: Arrg. I see messydesk beat me to it! >>

BWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

roadrunner · August 25, 2006 12:46PM

In my mind you get a pair of 2C pieces to make up the 4C...or 5C-1C. Therefore 4C is irrelevant, sort of like the $2 bill was. You can get 5C with 2C+3C. And you can get any combo to 10C with just 2 coins, none being a 4C piece. For 9C you have 10C-1C.

Mathematical my dear Guru, mathematical.

roadrunner

OK Smartypants coin nerds.....

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