How and why did the half dollar piece become so unpopular with the public?

This is a great point. I have a story that illustrates this. A couple weeks ago, I'm at a stoplight and a homeless man is there asking for money. I was on the way to the bank, so I pulled out 4 half dollar coins and handed them to him out the window. His comment was, "Wow, this is my lucky day....I haven't seen these in a long time....I'm gonna keep these!"

Of course I know he may have been professional, but I choose to assume he was indeed homeless. If a hungry homeless man is going to hoard them, what chance do these ever have in circulating.....

 

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Does this perhaps suggest a reason for his homeless situation? Hoarding cash in his situation may not be working to his advantage.

 

I too agree that one day it will happen and I think its ashame. Its just another way Uncle Sam will be keeping tabs on every single one of us. Where's the Freedom?

 

When I was starting as an apprentice carpenter in 1965 the guys told me that cash would be replaced with plastic cards so the government could record every transaction. I was skeptical that it could happen in my lifetime, and it seemed that was a far fetch for the IRS. Today, I rarely see cash. My Social Security & Pension are direct deposit. Use electronic bill pay and debit and credit cards for purchases. The IRS can track nearly every cent I get or spend. Soon, coins will only be minted for sale to collectors and I believe currency will follow. Especially with nano-technology on the horizon. The data will be in the palm of your hand or something, imprinted at birth. IMHO

 

There was an article a few years ago about children at a school using their thumbprint to access an electronic account for lunch money.

Ruben

 

More to the point though, it is a big coin with little value...

 

What was once in the realm of Science Fiction is now reality. Imagine 10 years ago, if someone had told you there would be a fingerprint lock on your "Laptop" personal computer ? Soon, you will need to offer DNA. LOL

 

actually, ten years ago it could have been done, no problem. The commercial applications is decades behind the available technology.

There are 2 exceptions to this: Healthcare, and The Military

 

With the dollar coins, I've never had a clerk refuse one, but when I'd spend them, I'd guess a 3rd didnt have a problem, 3rd were just agitated, and another 3rd took a long looking over the coin commenting on me trying to pull a fast one on them, or its just a token. I evently just stopped using them. I did spend a roll of them at a circle k once lol, seemed a lil ticked off.

I've had rolls of cents, nickels, dimes, and quarters refused quite a bit though lol (usualy quarters) and even some cash, especially older notes.

 

I found that stores refused quarters in rolls because so many have pesos in them. At least here in the southwest.

 

True, but it only takes a second to open one up and peak at em all though :/ One place wanted me to put my name address and phone number on a roll. I do find foreign coins in my rolls, but they are all from the bank lol.

 

I find it hard to believe that a question with three pages of posts, and only one correct answer so far.

Gresham's law is indeed the cause of the demise of the half dollar coin. The Wikipedia on the subject is very good, and I recommend a read.

 

Im not sure that applies here. Both coins are based on the same metals and legalized tender laws. From Gresham's definition of good and bad money, the two are 100% equivalent.

 

With that kind of logic, the dime and quarter should have disappeared from circulation too......

 

The nickel! Almost as big as a quater yet worth 1/5th

 

Same here, but the bank does not allow writing on the rolls at all, and addresses are violation of privacy laws. I have broken them open on the counter and counted them out, LOL

I even spent some IKEs just this week. It was easier to dump them that way because the teller pulled them especially for me. Too bad they were junk. LOL

 

Yes, that was the case until 1964. In that year, the Kennedy halfs were first issued (in sliver) and they were heavily hoarded. Next year, clad coinage was issued and the silver coins soon disappeared form circulation. Alas, that was the demise of the half dollar as a circulating coin.

 

But the same can be said about quarters, sans the new design for 1964. There were still Franklins halves prior to that circulating along side washington silver quarters. I think it just got circumstantial. More things cost a quarter than 50 cents. Conveniance took over. The quarter was more fleixble. Less change was needed. And if you needed 50 cents, no problem - 2 quarters.

 

Wrong.

The half dollar still contained 40% silver from 1965-1970 - no other denomination did. According to Gresham's law, therefore, the half dollar was hoarded and other denominations spent. It took a couple/few years for the pre-1964 silver coins to be sorted out, but during that time new clad coinage replaced the old. This was not the case for the half dollar.

Gresham's law is the only correct answer here.

 

at least you didnt pay in advance. lol