I thought of something that I probably should have included - why I carried a 1 oz gold coin in pocket for many years. First of all because it was cool. Secondly because I had never known or even heard of anyone else who did it, and I still haven't. Thirdly because whenever "I'll flip ya for it" situations would arise, and I made sure a lot of them did, it just doesn't get any better than having a 1 oz gold coin to flip. And fourth, because over years those gold coins that I carried in my pocket were directly responsible for stimulating interest in coin collecting and they brought a great many new collectors into the hobby. Think about it, a large gold coin is a great ice breaker and conversation piece. Most Americans aren't even aware that the US mints gold coins, (more so back then than today maybe). So when you show them one with a modern date on it, it is something of a thing of wonder and amazement.
I do not. I live in a major metro area, and, while there are cash-only businesses (primarily small businesses that don't have merchant accounts), there are more reasons not to carry a lot of cash than there are reasons to carry cash. It's safer in case of the (rather low, if you're careful) chance of getting mugged, and I don't have to lie to homeless people when I say I don't have any change, among other things.
Very true. I've on occasion carried around a Morgan for the same reason. I've even carried a draped bust dollar that had some surface problems in the hope that some wear would improve it (it did) and either one never failed to start conversations. I have a friend that carried a peace dollar until it was an unidentifiable silver slug and his second one has gone from unc to currently around good
Lol. I end up walking past 20 homeless people every day on my way into work on an average day, but 0 muggers.
Lol. Point taken. Mark Twain had a story about giving a homeless peasant woman overseas a gold coin when he thought it was a penny.