Oddball lunch!

Dentuck

Let's say you're in a rush* and you go to a fast-food drive-through to grab some lunch.

What's the strangest (to a layman) handful of legal tender the average coin collector could fork over for, say, an $8 order?

I'm thinking a mixture of

- (2) Eisenhower dollars,
- (1) Susan B. Anthony dollar,
- (1) Presidential, Native American, or Sacagawea dollar,
- (1) $2 bill,
- (2) Kennedy half dollars,
- (2) Bicentennial quarters, and
- (10) dateless Buffalo nickels

These are all coins that practically every collector accumulates in a desk drawer or cigar box over the years.





* because we all know the only reason a coin collector wouldn't eat a healthy lunch is because he's pressed for time

chumley

makes me want to say.....Have it your way sir.....

Dentuck

Would it take 10 long, painful minutes for the order to be processed? Would several layers of assistant-management have to be called over?

llafoe

As I've been purchasing collections, I've been spending the "drecks" of the collections locally... all the items you've listed plus wheat cents and IHCs. Only one person commented about the IKEs... not one other person even made a peep!

keyman64

It would be odd...the craziest thing I have ever done was spend some clad halves, clad Eisenhowers and presidential dollars/Sacs but never at the same time.

Dentuck

A few months ago I spent 17 of the 2010 Native American dollars for some takeout Chinese.

"Oh, these are this year's new ones," the cashier said admiringly. I was impressed!

Dentuck

<< <i>It would be odd...the craziest thing I have ever done was spend some clad halves, clad Eisenhowers and presidential dollars/Sacs but never at the same time. >>




That's what I'm envisioning: all at the same time. Like it would have been back in the era of obsolete paper notes, spending a colorful melange of money. Or in colonial times, with a handful of copper and silver of all shapes, sizes, origins, ages, and authenticities.

keyman64

<< <i>

<< <i>It would be odd...the craziest thing I have ever done was spend some clad halves, clad Eisenhowers and presidential dollars/Sacs but never at the same time. >>




That's what I'm envisioning: all at the same time. Like it would have been back in the era of obsolete paper notes, spending a colorful melange of money. Or in colonial times, with a handful of copper and silver of all shapes, sizes, origins, ages, and authenticities. >>

Please do it and report back on the results. The younger the cashier the better! Just don't do it with the first cashie you come across. Spent the funds when a 15 year old is the cashier! They might be ignorant and you might get the response of....this isn't money etc.

Ahrensdad

Less than a year ago I tried to pay for a happy meal at McDonalds with a series 1950 $20 bill. The cashier wouldn't take it, and called the manager. The manager looked to be not much older than the teenage cashier and also said they couldn't take it. The bill apparently looked too different. I was frustrated and ending up paying with my debit card. I don't even know what they would have done with the type of mix suggested in the OP, but that would be fun to watch.

edited to add more.

keyman64

<< <i>Less than a year ago I tried to pay for a happy meal at McDonalds with a series 1950 $20 bill. The cashier wouldn't take it, and called the manager. The manager looked to be not much older than the teenage cashier and also said they couldn't take it. The bill apparently looked too different. I was frustrated and ending up paying with my debit card. I don't even know what they would have done with the type of mix suggested in the OP, but that would be fun to watch.

edited to add more. >>

Maybe file a lawsuit for them not accepting US Currency?...although isn't a 1950 $20 bill worth more than $20?....unless it was all beat up and torn? Funny story.

messydesk

Substitute 5 rusty steel cents for one of the dateless buffalos in the OP. That should blue-screen the cashier.

secondrepublic

I have been getting rid of some half dollars recently... probably one-third of the time someone makes a comment. But I've found you can forestall it by saying "here's $1.50 in half dollars" or whatever.

keyman64

<< <i>Substitute 5 rusty steel cents for one of the dateless buffalos in the OP. That should blue-screen the cashier. >>

Good add to the mix!

Edit: Now that I think about it, I actually have a 2-Cent piece that is chipped to heck and worn and dark and ugly...I can't imagine that being worth more than a dollar...you could add a 2 cent piece to the mix possibly.

slipgate

That's a good way to get a McDonald's cashier's head to explode!

savoyspecial

Fugio Cents were made legal tender in 1864 so i guess you could spend a 'Franklin' Cent (not that you would want to)

ANACONDA

I would love to see a video of that transaction especially with someone named Shesqueala.

savoyspecial

honestly, using any combination of oddball coinage is likely to result in the police being called as most managers would probably not know that you were actually using legal tender....

reminds me of a Grover Criswell story where he paid for a drink by cutting down a sheet of banknotes in front of the waitress

(just make sure there are no Liberty, aka NORFED, dollars in the mix as you would not want to be branded a domestic terrorist)

stockergreen

Your holding up the line while we wait for a manager to straighten this out.

SanctionII

In addition to purchasing a fast food meal at McDonalds with this mixed assortment of coinage, I suggest that you expand your horizons by adding additional purchases of goods and services to your list.

Pick out various establishments providing goods and services to the public, ranging across the economic and demographic spectrum. Have you and your wife/girlfriend try high end, middle of the road and low end establishments that provide both goods and that provide services [i.e. Nordstrom's; a posh day spa; the hottest new restaurant; Starbuck's or Peete's; McDonalds; a Dollar Store; a local cleaner's where you get your shirts washed and starched; the corner liquor store; a Century Theatre with 16 screens, etc.] in all parts of town [the rich neighborhoods where CEO's reside in gated fortresses; middle class neighborhoods; blue collar neighborhoods; neighborhoods populated exclusively by whites, or blacks, or hispanics; or asians, etc.].

Doing so would give you a very good insight into how people of different ages, genders, economic level and ehtnic backgrounds are aware of or are unaware of the different types of money present in the USA.

ambro51

Youre a cruel man, even to think of this diabolical plan.

Actually, the small dollars are accepted without thought by most cashiers now, the bicentennial quarters look like every other quarter. Dateless Buffs...I dunno, Ive been spending ol liberty nickels without a notice from anyone....

The Ikes would get attention though!!

I imagine an old red seal 5$ would get noticed too....


still legal tender, and not worth much more than face in horrid rag condition....fractional currency!

keyman64

GrumpyEd

I had a bunch of SBA dollars. Many cashiers think they're quarters or halves so to avoid a bunch of unhappy cashiers I rolled up 4 $25 rolls. To get rid of them in one shot I took them to Chase at Frys and deposited them. I told the teller they're SBA dollars. She had the whole staff and the manager come look. I heard them talking, one said "WOW silver" another said "everyone asks me for these".

I was cracking up as I walked away.