I know there's a coin shortage...

[Dave in MD]

I've refused to take $100 bills first thing in the morning. I'll ask people if they have anything smaller and the say no while holding their money roll that I can see has smaller bills.

[EricKei]

Dave - That has almost always been my experience, as well. They're being assholes, but I'd appreciate them at least giving our intelligence SOME credit by being honest about it.

[Sparklyturtle]

When I was a waitress I lived in a small trailer with a monthly rent of $150. I usually went to the bank and deposited my tips and wrote a check for the rent, but one month I didn't have time to go to the bank. I had the rent in cash - but it was in $1 bills, $5 bills, a couple of larger bills, and $40 in quarters, so I asked the manager if she minded if I paid my rent that way. If she didn't want all that I could run to the bank, but she told me, "Oh, I could use all those quarters for the laundromat!" So, I gave her the cash and she gave me a receipt for it.

[Argus]

A few years ago, I made a small purchase from an office supply store in cash, and the cashier started to apologize for running out of $1 bills and having to give me a dollar or two in quarters. I stopped him to say that I live in an apartment and the laundry machines there only took quarters, so that meant some additional time before I would next need to hit a change machine.

[SpyOne]

Quoth Nunavut Pants

It was obvious the kid had raided someone's coin collection, but there wasn't a lot she could do about it at the time. IIRC, a parent stopped by to collect the kid and she warned them what the kid had been doing.

One of the rare perks of being a cashier is buying the weird stuff that passes through my drawer.
I remember one night where a family came in and each kid came up to the register and paid in bicentennial quarters and half-dollars. When Dad came to the register, I quietly said that someone might have gotten into a coin collection, and he said "No, I gave them to them and they insisted on spending them."

I have gotten a 1948 half-dollar.
I have gotten a $10 bill from 1963 in shockingly good condition.
I have gotten 12 uncirculated 1976 $2 bills.
I have gotten a $2 bill from 1963
I have gotten a $2 bill from 1928.
I have gotten a $1 bill from 1957
I have gotten a $1 bill from 1935 on two different occasions.

I have had people spend commemorative silver dollars. Painted and unpainted.
And I have had someone spend as $5 a commemorative $5 US coin that was 1/10 oz gold. Actually they didn't precisely spend that one: they said "this is five dollars, right?" and I said "I'll give you five dollars for that."

[Racket_Man]

When I was at the gas station someone must have rolled a bunch of silver quarters and sold them to the bank we used. Got about $10 in silver.

Another time someone paid for gas with (40's or 50's era) blue seal $1 and $5s in good condition.

[workerbee222]

Taking a tip from a 'decluttering your home' site, I've started to keep my change with me instead dumping it in a jar at home. I go through the SCO usually, dump in the change in my pocket and pay the remainder on my debit card.

Last time I went to my bank, the teller and I stood there for twenty minutes counting my change.

[Mental_Mouse]

You all are reminding me that I need to get more rolls of quarters... unfortunately the bank downtown has gone to appointment only...

[Slave to the Phone]

I have LOTS of quarters I would love to put back in circulation. However, I am far too lazy to make an appointment at our bank to pick up coin rolls, bring them home, roll a big jar of change, then make another appointment to go back to the bank to cash them in for what they are worth.

We don't need the cash badly enough to spend all that gas and time dealing with something that should be much easier.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Quoth Slave to the Phone

I have LOTS of quarters I would love to put back in circulation. However, I am far too lazy to make an appointment at our bank to pick up coin rolls, bring them home, roll a big jar of change, then make another appointment to go back to the bank to cash them in for what they are worth.

We don't need the cash badly enough to spend all that gas and time dealing with something that should be much easier.

Does your bank not provide a coin counting machine for their customers?