As I’ve mentioned I’ve been going through half dollar rolls recently looking for silver halfs, including the 1965-1970 40% silver coins. The inevitable consequence of this however is you end up with a bunch non silver half dollars. These are a neat novel coin to carry around but 20 of them is bulky (and WILL make your shorts wear funny). Unfortunately it makes for some less than funny things too.
I wouldn’t consider myself OLD at 30, but I do note some disparity with the folks behind the average retail counter. Little things like remembering Ronald Reagan being on TV as a kid. Knowing what garbage pail kids are. That sort of thing. I also remember though coming across half dollars here and there growing up, and certainly knowing a half dollar was worth 50 cents. Until today I’ve never had anyone try to question that fact, though I have gotten strange looks and comments.
As I said much of this is due to age. Apparently your average 19 year old has not come across the odd half dollar. That said I have gotten looks from folks with a decade or two on me. Older folks are generally happy to see them, know exactly what they are and usually say something along the lines of ‘I have not see one of these in ages’. Some folks do express some dissatisfaction that there’s not usually a spot for them in the cash register. (Actually in my experience there is, however with their uncommonness it’s been re-tasked for extra rolls, or folded travelers checks, etc.) Typically though average whatever look or comment my legal tender is accepted and I’m on my way.
Today however, as I was buying a new pair of pants at ‘the gap’ was the first time I encountered a problem. The girl behind the counter stared for a few seconds. *normal* Then she leaned over to the other girl and said, I quote, “Hey can we accept these?”. To the credit of the other girl I don’t think she saw them before replying ‘Are they American?’, although with Kennedy’s iconic profile on the coin it’s ironic in the extreme to hear. Either way the second girl mentioned as long as they’re American they can accept them. This prompted the question ‘how much are they worth?’. Now for crying out loud, while the Kennedy half does not read as does the paper dollar ‘Legal Tender for All Debts Public & Private’ it does quite clearly say “Half Dollar”, not unlike a Quarter says “Quarter Dollar”. I suspect the girl must know that there’s 50 cents to a half dollar if she’s working a register (though with the prevalence of credit cards who knows).
All of this quite concerns me. I get looks when I pay using dollar coins as well. This makes sense to me though since they’ve never been in major circulation, and they’re image changes every several months to a year. I would hope anyone with a basic high school education though could easily recognize a 50 cent piece. Apparently this is hoping for two much. I’m still quite shocked in that I was pretty close to denied my purchase (well at least being forced to break a hundred dollar bill for 2$) on account of ignorance. If not for the practical other girl things could have gotten nasty; I’d have had to request a manager who no doubt being in the same age group would also be iffy (and usually those sorts stand by the clerk when it comes to disputes.
This all reminds me of literally being denied an alcohol purchase for only have a passport ID. You know the one actual verified federal form of ID. Not one as flimsy as some other states laws, and easy to fake when going to another region. That’s a rant for another time though. Either way. If there’s a teacher out there reading this, thin about mentioning the half dollar to students, and that yes like the dollar it’s legal (and in fact it really is a crime not to accept them). Now I’m quite tempted to purchase me some uncut sheets of 2 dollar bills, and cut them up when purchasing gas (also perfectly legal). Now that could get fun.