What we have in common with Brazil

WACoinGuy · May 24, 2005 10:54PM

I just got back from a business trip in Brazil. One thing I noticed there that was interesting -- they have both a 1 Real bill and a 1 Real coin (1 Real is worth about 40 US cents). Most places I went had both the bills and the coins (I could see in the cash register trays that there was a separate spot for the coins). But interestingly, in about 80% of the transactions where I'd get change, I'd get a 1 Real bill instead of a coin. So though both seem to circulate from my (admittedly limited) experience, the bill still seemed more popular than the coin.

I'm not sure why they still have the bills in circulation either -- the coin has been around for a while (one of the coins I got back in change was dated 1998).

solid · May 24, 2005 10:59PM

That is interesting. Did you run into any Fake Reals or were they are the Real Deal?

XpipedreamR · May 24, 2005 11:14PM

Real funny.

pharmer · May 24, 2005 11:52PM

Real world example of the same thing that would occur here if both circulated, which in theory they do, but you wouldn't know that from the pleas of those who want to eliminate the $1 bill in favor of just a coin. Obviously the public has spoken in Brazil, in real terms.

Conder101 · May 25, 2005 11:39AM

<< <i>Obviously the public has spoken in Brazil, in real terms. >>

Yeah, the coin would circulate better if the note was retired. He said that the note is tendered 80% of the time when there is a possiblity of either one being used.

pharmer · May 25, 2005 11:56AM

Uh, that was precisely my point. When given a choice, the public spoke, at the rate of 80% in favor of the note. So the argument that a coin would be preferred is false, and a change here would go against the wishes of the public. You may want to force the coin on the public by eliminating the note, but that's not how a free society operates. Again, a dollar coin already exists here, two in fact, and if the real life example cited in this thread won't convince you that the public will not prefer it, I guess nothing will.

Conder101 · May 25, 2005 1:29PM

<< <i>You may want to force the coin on the public by eliminating the note, but that's not how a free society operates >>

In 1965 the public wanted silver in their coins instead of clad, they want low taxes and increased spending, they want the government to save money but insist on hanging onto more expensive ways, they want less dependence on foreign oil but they want to drive large high power vehicles at high speeds and they want the gas price to be low. Sorry sometimes they don't and sometimes shouldn't get what they want. (There are parents out there who don't believe that their children should be vaccinated against the various diseases. If they hadn't been forced we would still be having major problems with polio, measles, mumps, smallpox, etc.)

What we have in common with Brazil

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