Flying Canadian Pennies

[Gurndigarn]

I can never figure out why, if we, as Canadian clerks, would refuse to accept ANY US currency, from coins to bills, that would be such a terrible crime against our American customers, yet, if we travel across the border, that same spirit is not reciprocated to us.

If you're looking for a serious answer...

For the last few decades, it's been because (1) the US dollar was more valuable-- at times much stronger-- than the Canadian one, so it was easier to do the math for exchanges; (2) a higher percentage of USians went to Canada than the other way around, especially for states not bordering on Canada; and (3) for the last 60+ years, the US dollar has been the international currency of choice. Let's face it: if you're traveling from Columbia to Chile, the procedure was to exchange your Columbian money for US dollars, go to Chile, and sell the US dollars for Chilean money. So hoping/expecting our next-door neighbors to take US money was a logical thing to expect, even if it was presumptuous.

In some places, they won't even take Canadian coins.

It's a state-by-state thing. More common back when the exchange rate was .60 to 1. And what I saw (don't know if this is accurate or not) more likely on states with toll booths. Illinois and New York were both adamant about not taking Canadian money. Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, and Montana were wide open. In some places in Montana, they even took Canadian money at face value.

Now, if your coins weren't magnetic, it might be a different story... though judging on the way Illinois and New York politicians act, I suspect it wouldn't change anything in either state.

I don't see why the same can't be applied, especially as the Canadian dollar is quite high right now.

Wait a month, and the Canadian dollar will be higher.

In the same way that we give back the difference for your higher dollar, then deposit the US currency, why can't Canadians just pay a higher rate and you guys can deposit our currency?

I expect that it's because most banks around here aren't set up to do foreign exchanges, while most of the banks outside the US are set up to do US dollar exchanges. My wife sold a story to a Canadian publisher, and we had a fun time trying to get it changed. In the end, the rate they gave us was 5% lower than the current market value, and that was only after having our primary bank effectively turn us down, and having to ask three different places with our secondary bank before we found someone who knew how to do it.

[Cia]

Wyoming doesn't accept Canadian money or so I was told many moons ago.

Most of the tourist traps in the Black Hills accept Canadian money, exchange rate for the bills, loonies and twoonies and the rest of the coins are face value. Quite a few fast food places do the same thing.

The only thing I miss about working fast food is the foreign money.

Whenever I go to Canada or Mexico and spend US money, only after I run out of their money, I don't expect the change to be in US funds.

[ArenaBoy]

In some places, they won't even take Canadian coins.

Depends where in the States you are. If you came to see an event at my arena for example will take it but you pay $14 CAN (Whiskeyclone's way of thinking at work here) for a $10 USA parking fee. In some places I can pay in CAD at face value even though I live in Michigan unlike for example Wisconsin where I had my Canadian change exchanged.

Also, I'd like to apologize for the idiot Americans that pollute Canada from time to time and get uppity about the currency thing. I keep at least $100 CAD on me in the event that I go to Canada.

[Lace Neil Singer]

<snip>
Scotland - Sexual predilection for sheep
<snip>

Actually, that's the Welsh. The Scots are skirt wearing, orange bearded nutters who hate us English. The Irish have just as many "stupid Irishman" jokes about them as the Polish have "dumb Polak"; cept, the Irish people I know tell the best ones and laugh the loudest; dunno if it's the same about the Poles. ^^

[Sliceanddice]

according to the web exchanger thing i googles... that canadian penny he threw at you was worth .9 cents... lol

[FenigDurak]

Lovely. I called up my Canadian friend last night and told him about this. We reminisced a bit about some costumes I sold last summer on a film shoot in Canada (I forget exactly where. Took us less than an hour to drive there from Uni of Buffalo). I was selling them for what they cost me to make, $10 US and was thrilled when someone handed me a stack of Loonies.

I felt like such a newb getting excited over money commonly called Loonies and Twoonies (sp?). I didn't even care that it wasn't an even exchange. I just made sure to buy lunch while still in town.

[Shironu-Akaineko]

I felt like such a newb getting excited over money commonly called Loonies and Twoonies (sp?)

Toonies, but Twoonies is accepted too.

I like the idea of spending "toons".

So our currencies is basically.... Loonie Toons.

[Jack7957]

Years ago, growing up, my family lived across from a state park, so as a little side business we sold firewood to campers. We accepted Canadian money at face, but it had to be exact amount.

Back several years ago I went to the Air Canada Centre to see Peter Gabriel in concert. The interesting thing was the prices were the same between the US venues and the Canadian venues. So the tickets in both country were listed at $90, but since I was going to Toronto, I paid somewhere around $60US. Same thing with the souveniers. So I used my CC to get the exchange rate instead of having to worry about converting cash.

Again, several years ago I went to an outdoor rave (WEMF) north of Toronto. The vendors there would take either Canadian or US dollars, but they were not giving an exchange rate on the US dollars. So bottle of water was $3 whether you paid Canadian or US.

[Bloodsoul]

Only problem I ever had with not getting Canadian money taken was at an arcade; their quarters just won't work in the machines.

I've yet to have anyone get mad over taking foreign money, yet hand them a 50 cent piece, dollar coin, or $2 bill and they go ballistic. WTF? On the other hand, I once had not one but two rolls of pennies that each had a Chinese coin in them. What I don't understand about this is that the coins were silvery coloured, which would obviously make them stand out from copper-coloured pennies. I dunno, maybe it was just the big "1" that was printed on them?

[Gurndigarn]

Only problem I ever had with not getting Canadian money taken was at an arcade; their quarters just won't work in the machines.

One of the most common tests that US coin accepters do is a magnetic test (punchouts from steel gang boxes are or were the same size as a quarter. Very important test.) Canadian quarters are magnetic, so they'll fail essentially every US coin accepter test.

[Bloodsoul]

Then.. does that mean I can't use my 1943 steel penny for anything? ó_ò

[Acolyte]

Whoever made that song/poem thing up deserves a rightful smack in the head. It may be a joke, but I find it offensive.

Hey, I found it hilarious.

Besides, isn't one of a Canadians' defining characteristics the ability to laugh at ourselves? I mean, we are a pretty silly country...

[Broomjockey]

I mean, we are a pretty silly country...

Only in Canada will the country's leader's wife defend her husband with a soapstone carving while they barricade the bedroom door when an intruder breaks in.

[Boozy]

Only in Canada will the country's leader's wife defend her husband with a soapstone carving while they barricade the bedroom door when an intruder breaks in.

That's my favourite news story of all time.

It's just so very Canadian.

[AnqeiicDemise]

When I worked at K-mart's cafe, there was a regular that knew I collected currency-- any interesting coin, regardless of where it came from, I'd keep it.

She came to me one day after she came back from a trip and gave me a bunch of coins from Europe. It was totally awesome.

Though not as awesome as the old lady who gave me a FOUR LEAF CLOVER.

As tradition goes with the clovers you're supposed to give them to someone else at some point in your life to keep the luck going. At least that's what she said.