Sure is, any coin made by the US gov is still legal tender? Thinking of spending it? I'll take it off your hands!
Thats what I figured, but there are some REALLY crazy people out there. I've friends that have worked at stores, and had some kids come in w/a roll of silver merc or something and some candy. A few hours later the mom/dad comes in and gets the stuff back.
What's his intent though? To be a moron? Or to toss things into circulation that people can find? I assume there's not much chance the 2c piece is going to go very far though. Probably not going to get much past the clerk he spent it with.
I think I heard that US gold coins minted 1933 or earlier were demonetized in the same act that made it illegal for US citizens to privately own gold held in the US (repealed 12/31/74; not sure if repealing the act also made them legal tender again.) so not sure if they are still considered legal tender or not (of course even in just melt value they'd be worth more than face anyway). Any confirmation on that? Also for a brief time trade dollars were not considered legal tender in the US, but that act was later rescinded. All other US coins that have been minted since 1793 are still considered legal tender. You want to pay for a 50 cent candy bar with 25 2 cent pieces or 100 half cents, feel free, but think it would be a waste of perfectly good coins worth far more than face value, lol. But yes, a 2 cent piece is still recognized as being legal tender for 2 cents.
The calling in of the gold did make it illegal to hoard, but it did not affect it's legal tender status. It was called in but never demonitized. Gold certificates on the other hand were made illegal to own and therefor effectively demonitized, until around 1961. Trade dollars were stripped of their legal tender status in 1876. They did not regain it until the Coinage Act of 1965. That act also granted legal tender status to the half cent for the first time. Just to see the reaction from people when they are paid with a two cent piece. It's fun. It's like giving a Ike dollar to one of these 18 year old cashiers at McDonalds. They MAY have seen a small size dollar but most of their minds just short out when they are handed a BIG dollar coin. But they can eventuall get their minds around that concept. But a TWO CENT PIECE! They can't handle that, So they call over their 22 year old manager who has also never heard of such a thing. They might even get the owner into the discussion, who has probably also never heard of it. An Ike dollar is fum, but I can see where a two cent piece would be hilarious
In the Littleton mail-order coin catalogue, they say the 1976 $2s were demonitized, and the SBAs are next with the Prez Dollars coming out.
Well, if you're looking for quizical looks, you can get plenty by spending Sac dollars and half dollars. I've had clerks look for the writing on the half dollar. I've had people be unable to count mixtures of dollars and halves. All for no premium . If you're looking for quizical looks, I'd be happy to send you tons of them for any old currency you want to get rid of. Send me a morgan dollar and I'll send you at least $1 of quizical looks. And I'd add, it's really no fault of the clerks to question a 2 cent piece. You can't expect these guys to be up on all the old currency when half of them aren't even up on the current currency.
There is no US currency that has been demonitized. Stamps issued prior to the Civil War were demonitized, as so many of them were in rebel hands when the conflict began. The Federal government didn't issue paper money prior to the Civil War (except for some circulating bonds issued to finance the War of 1812), so that wasn't an issue. The only US coins ever demonitized were trade dollars. There were various limitations on the maximum amounts of minor coins that were defined as legal tender, but that was eliminated in 1965. It was technically unlawful to hold Gold Certificates from 1933 to the mid-1960's, but they weren't demonitized. US pre-1933 issue gold coins were always legal to hold for collecting purposes, with various restrictions. They too, were never demonitized.
