I used to tip with actual morgan dollars at restaurants back when they were worth about $8. Some waitresses didn't like it, so I'd offer a traditional cash tip if they didn't seem to like it. I recall one instance where the waitress had an 8 year old son that collected coins....I made that kid's day with an 1885 or something Morgan dollar ! My wife is addicted to Dunkin Donuts coffee, the employees all know her and often give her a free coffee on the house. I tell her to occasionally tip people that do things like that.....to reinforce this positive behaviour that is actually borderline employee theft. So I give her a couple of Ike's to tip with. It went over well from what I heard. The clerk apparently thought this was worth about what a double eagle would be worth and had never seen one before. I guess he/ she said they'd never spend it. I know it is worth maybe $1.50 on ebay. $2 bills work great also. Maybe get 10 free cups of coffee ( about $2 per) for tossing some HS kid clerk at DD an Ike. I don't even drink coffee except maybe at Honda waiting for an oil change and the k-cup machine is there. It's not my problem if clerks give coffee to my wife. She's chatty so a cup of coffee can lead to a 25 minute conversation with said clerks, thus I never go there with her or make sure I have plenty of reading material if I do....
It can be the thing that makes a future collector and a buyer of our coins when we sell/ die, etc. I no longer can tip with Morgans. Dinner out might run $40-50, I could offer a Morgan as a tip when I could buy them for $8 for this purpose and to promote numismatics in a way. tipping with lesser coins like a few silver dimes would not work, I might be thought of as a stiff. A Morgan dollar is different or a Peace for that matter, but I tried to use the oldest possible coins, like 1880's stuff. I bet the kid still has the Morgan I gave to his mother 8 years ago or so as a tip . $2 bills can serve this purpose well. I gave one to a valet in Vegas once, he had to think it was a $20. He treated me like George Jefferson's doorman ( Ralph)....like yes sir, sir ! I'm white, BTW ! Ikes are tough to get at face value, but I'm sure you can get a trainload full at $1.50-$2 a coin. $2 bills can still be obtained for face if ordered from a bank in quantity.
I always tip with Ikes or Susan B's... then watch the recepient showing off the coin to their co-workers. The looks are priceless.
When I go to Yellowstone in a few weeks I plan on buying a roll of Presidential Dollars to use as tips. Last summer when I was in the Black Hills I had dinner at the State Game Lodge and used halves as a tip and the waiter loved it. Said he was going to give them to his mother who is a coin collector.
Tipping with Ikes is a great idea! I sometimes will pay with halves. It always makes for good conversation.
Haha vnickels comment is so true. I personally buy presidential dollars to use as tips and I once even paid my bill at Bob Evans with them (the cashier was none to thrilled and proceeded to give me 20 pennies as a "punishment" all of which were brand new 2010s). Since I roll collect though and I search through prez dollars and halves I try to put them into circulation just for fun.
I have tipped with Ike's before but the people with me thought I was crazy. It was fun, I'll have to do it some more!
