Community Voice Responses (03/13/2012)

From the Feb, 17th Numismatic News E-Newsletter: Dime production jumps. Are you using more of them? Here are some answers sent from our e-newsletter readers to Editor, Dave Harper. 

Interesting question. I doubt if many people pay attention to their change these days.
For me, the only coin I seem to use is the quarter. Perhaps that is because I am a simple guy, and I can add up to a dollar simply by counting my fingers. The other denominations simply take too long. But really, when I think about paying for something, I might add a quarter to a purchase, but I don’t recall the last time I used anything smaller.
Also, it seems like the quarter is more socially acceptable. Who wants to wait in line at the market while the person in front of you is counting out their pennies and nickels to pay for a purchase?
I keep all of my small coins in a jar, and once it gets too heavy I take them to the bank and make a deposit. I’m curious to hear if you receive similar feedback from others.
Bill Bryan, Phoenix, Ariz. 

I’m not using more dimes but seem to be getting more dimes in change. Feb. 16 I received five dimes, nickel and one 2012-P (we usually get Denver mint coins) America the Beautiful quarter of Puerto Rico from an Arby’s.
Perhaps a shortage of quarters is the reason for the call for more dimes, but it looks like they would mint more quarters if that were the case.
Hoyt Thompson, Hugo, Okla. 

Yes, I get more dimes every day and fewer nickels. By the way, I never found any 2010 dimes or nickels.
Tom Watson, Colton, N.Y. 

The dime, because of size, is still worth promoting for a ciculating coin. Think about it! If we all can save on taxes and bank fees, what harm can it do!
Gary Kess, Escalon, Calif.

I really can’t say that I’m using more dimes now than in the past. However, due to inflation, I very well could be using more dimes than at any time in the past, and I’m 70 years of age.
Larry W. Young, Tyrone, Ga. 

My personal use of dimes hasn’t chagned.
Maybe the strategic coin reserve is running low. Or maybe since it’s the lowest denomination that remains profitable over face value, it’s being struck for the seigniorage?
Michael Jacobs, Lake Zurich, Ill.

The Mint is strange. I find more pennies, nickels, and dimes on the ground than ever before. The general public would likely not even miss them if the Mint stopped making them.
The younger generation today uses debit cards for 90 percent of their transactions. They purchase items with iPhones now. But the Mint keeps pushing out coins.
The government can’t figure out how to cut the deficit. Now they want to make a cent that costs less than a cent to make. Whatever they make it out of with be a joke. Plastic? How about recycled plastic milk bottles?
Nick Rubino, Burlington Mass.

I am not using more of them.
Robert Bakanowicz, Kimberling City, Mo.

There’s lots of change out there, but not in the years of 2009 2010, 2011 and 2012 yet. I see a lot of the older years, of dimes also, the dime production can jump all it wants to, if they don’t get out of the warehouse and into the banks, we won’t get them. Every time we spend a few dollars, we get hands full of change. To bad it’s not all 90 percent silver ones. That would be nice.
Chuck Schroeder, St Petersburg, Fla.
To be absolutely honest with you, I can’t even remember the last time I needed to use a dime to pay for something I had bought. In nine out of ten instances, I will most likely use quarters as change and even then, I most often receive back in change a nickel and a few cents. I can’t imagine how the US Mint is justifying such a big Dime production push anyways. I too would like to know whose using them? And if not, where are they all going? As I see it, maybe we’ve got it all wrong; keep the penny and nickels and stop-producing the dimes.
Mercury R. Williams, Seattle, Wash.