why don't they do this anymore?

why dont cashiers give you half dollars in your change anymore? i'll have 50 cents change owed to me, and the cashiers just give me two quarters.
why?

 

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They don't have any.

 

Personally every time I go to a cash register I ask if they have any half dollars. Anything 1970 or before, I keep.

 

For obvious reasons.

Stores don't just use half dollars. They aren't popular. I don't know why. 1 coin is better than 2.

 

bingo!

 

They're too big. Read this:

http://www.cointalk.com/t192419/

 

1. they haven't been made for circulation in over 10 years, so they are rarely an option.

B. Most people under 40 wouldn't even know what they are

3. If you gave one out, the customer would likely axe for two quarters instead.


I can rarely even get them at a bank, but I take all of them even if I just see a few clads. I could easily pass them off as dollars if I wanted to, when I spend them the cashiers often think they are dollars, and I have to tell them they are halves....even after they look at both sides and read it ( presumably).

no need for a half, we only really need two coins....dimes and quarters, if you are going to have paper dollars.

 

Which is why I'm able to sell common date circulated clad halves for $1 at the local flea market. About two thirds of the people walking through have never even seen a half (or an Ike, or even a Sac or presidential dollar). And there always seems to be plenty of "inventory" at my local bank.

 

sure wish I could find someone to pay me a dollar for a half dollar. I would sell a million dollars worth of them

 

Registers aren't designed to hold that many different denominations nowadays.

 

Really? People would get that violent when handed a half?

 

I've also sold Ikes and $2 bills at the flea market, as a side item to the household junk I'm really selling. I used to be able to get Ikes for face from my local coin dealer, but he now has a buyer at 20% over face. I can of course order all the halves, small dollars and deuces I want from the bank

 

ever been to Detroit, Jacksonville, DC, Birmingham, Philly, etc. ?

 

I've received one unsolicited half dollar in change in the last 3 years. The only time I've received an unsolicited "golden dollar" in change was in Bermuda, where they use a similar dollar coin. (26mm, 7.65 grams).

Half dollars basically disappeared from circulation by the mid-to-late 1960's. Blame it on silver hoarding, Kennedy collectors, vending machines, or other coin-related machinery as you will. You can even blame it on fashion -- my grandfather used a pocket coin purse, but my father did not. The "last bastion" of the half was Las Vegas, but once casinos went to coinless slots they pretty much stopped using them as well.

There's about a billion dollars (face value) of half dollars "out there," no doubt hiding in drawers, bank vaults and safety deposit boxes. But they only circulate rarely, so like $2 bills, when a cashier gets one they toss it into the miscellaneous drawer to be sent back to the bank on the next drop.

 

They don't have any... the Half is now an unused denomination, and isn't made for circulation anymore.


The only time I've received a 'Golden Dollar' (US ofc) in my change was in Canada...
Where we use dollar coins and two dollar coins all the time

 

Best be careful in Detroit.. they have assault type axes.. they sharpen both ends too!

 

I think the spent halves and deuces rarely even make it back to the bank. The cashier or somebody above her/him most likely buys it from the store before it gets to the bank.

I recall halves circulating fairly well in the mid 70's...when it had some genuine buying power. The pre-Kennedy halves sure circulated. fifty cents back in the WW2 era was like perhaps $10 now. Plenty of 1940's WLH's are worn down to the fine range.

Kennedy getting whacked ( edited ) and the rising silver prices just killed the coin. Even 50+ years ago, I don't see why a half would be preferred to two quarters given that the weight is the same.

I only get halves for the possibility of silver, but it is all gone....haven't found a 40% in years, but I still axe for them at the bank and take any they have. I ordered a box once, got nothing, done with that.

 

I think that is the worst city in North America ( including Mexico).

[video=youtube;T6WKMNmFsxM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6WKMNmFsxM[/video]

 

If yiu ever go to DC and pay cash at the metro for tickets your change will be given to you in dollar coins. I went last year and remember thinking that this must be the only place they circulate.

 

They use half dollars in vegas at some of the low level poker games for the rake still.

The monorail in vegas gives you golden dollars for change from the automated machine .