I have been in the research phase of writing a book about South Korean coins for a while now. I have a question for you fellow Coin Talkers: What topics of daily coin usage (or coins in daily life) do numismatic writers cover? "Numismatic writers" includes you all, since you are writing rather intelligently here at CT about this topic at times, too. I have identified a few common topics concerning historical coin use in the numismatic literature: 1) Utility, and the "sufficient value" of coins used in purchasing. 2) The electrical conductivity/slug-rejector sensitivity involving vending machines and payphones. 3) Increases (prices only go up!) for bus/train fares, and having to use different-value coins because of that. 4) Demand/lack of demand for a certain coin denomination in circulation (thinking of the Canadian Loonie). 5) Maybe this isn't a "daily" concern, but....Cost to the taxpayers due to per-coin manufacturing costs, and lack of seigniorage from certain denomination(s). 6) ??????
Related to 2, but magnetic properties. Related to 4, the viability of a denomination (cent elimination), need for a new denomination (2 dollar coin), or need for adjustment of diameter or shape. Related to 5, planchet composition due to costs, raw material availability, and politics. Subject matter and design for new coinage, especially commemoratives. Determination of future mintage numbers, especially for commemoratives with hard limits. Methods of availability for purchase from the mint/other. Coin finishes, especially for commemoratives. Demonetization and exchange (currently especially relevant with countries on the Euro, or countries with official and black market currencies).
6) usage of coins as emergency tools or accessories - i.e dimes can be used as screwdrivers and small copper cents were temporarily substituted for household fuses, etc.
I can't recall it ever having been covered in a numismatic article but I have a long, long history, going back almost 60 years, of using coins for targets, both aerial and stationary. And I have posted about that before. And I personally know of many others who have done the same thing. It's even been done repeatedly in many long running TV series and numerous movies. So to my way of thinking that certainly qualifies as usage in daily life. Even this very day, somebody, somewhere, is shooting at coins. In addition, over the years I have used coins for all sorts of things. As spacers, washers, even used them as wheels on toy models before, as well as other things already mentioned by others. Lastly, and this has been posted about many, many times, and in actual numismatic articles, coins have used in all kinds of art work, from being embedded in bars at an actual bar, to being embedded in toilet seats, to wall displays, to being used as flooring material, and used to make 3 dimensional art objects. For that matter coins have even been commonly used as weapons - in several different ways. And if I sat here and thought about it long enough I could probably come up with more.
This might have a long tradition in those countries where firearms were common, or at least permitted for some. A family friend of ours weaved together with long strips of leather a long string of holed dimes that he had shot holes through. Hmm. I wonder what other activities people engage in which requires large numbers of coins? Ah, the March of Dimes I think gets mentioned a lot... Any other charities perhaps?
