Oddball lunch!

Dentuck · April 21, 2011 6:53AM

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 · April 21, 2011 6:55AM

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

Dentuck · April 21, 2011 6:57AM

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 · April 21, 2011 6:57AM

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 · April 21, 2011 6:59AM

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 · April 21, 2011 6:59AM

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 · April 21, 2011 7:02AM

<< 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 · April 21, 2011 7:14AM

<< 

<< 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 · April 21, 2011 7:21AM

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 · April 21, 2011 7:23AM

<< 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 · April 21, 2011 7:31AM

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

secondrepublic · April 21, 2011 7:33AM

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 · April 21, 2011 8:14AM

<< 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 · April 21, 2011 8:14AM

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

savoyspecial · April 21, 2011 9:23AM

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

ANACONDA · April 21, 2011 9:24AM

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

savoyspecial · April 21, 2011 9:28AM

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 · April 21, 2011 9:40AM

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

SanctionII · April 21, 2011 9:51AM

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 · April 21, 2011 9:54AM

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 · April 21, 2011 10:00AM

GrumpyEd · April 21, 2011 10:54AM

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.

Oddball lunch!

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