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Purim Related Question

Atratus's picture
Submitted by Atratus on

The Royal Canadian Mint still makes 50¢ coins as standard issue, I knew this from working as a bank teller myself, but every time I've tried to order them from a bank in recent years I either get a completely blank stare from the teller or something along the lines of "they aren't on the form so I can't get them". Where and how do Canadians celebrating Purim get their "½ shekel" coins?

LOL - yeah. I guess you didn't notice that the "50¢" in my post is a link to the 50¢ coin page...

The whole point is I know these things are standard mintage, I used to get them by the roll when I was a bank teller, but now it seems bank tellers are completely oblivious to the fact that these things are still made.

Sorry didn't notice. My mistake. I've been fighting a sinus infection ( on persciptions ect.) and kinda out of it.

Good luck in your quest.

But I'm not talking about buying collector coins, I'm talking about getting a roll of circulation coins. You wouldn't go to the post office to get a rolls of circulation loonies, quarters, dimes, nickels or pennies and pay more than $25, $10, $5, $2, or 50¢ respectively for them. What I'm looking for is regular mintage coinage intended for circulation, spending money to exchange at face value, purchased at face value.

In the pre-loonie days I used to do this with $1coins as well. Not many people used them, even less than the 50¢ coins, but you could still walk into a bank and get a roll of "silver" dollars (they were made of nickel after 1968), $20 for a roll of 20. Usually you had to wait a week because the bank wouldn't normally keep them on hand and would have to order them in their routine weekly coin purchase.

I have it on good authority that the RBC in town has its ABMs filled by a seperate company.  I can't speak for all branches though.  I seriously suggest trying out a post office for the coins.  They sell all sorts of odd government things.  If I remember, I'll inquire next time I'm at the post office.

I'm not sure that is true for the ABM's that are in a branch, like these ones. Obviously a lot changes in 20 years, but when I was working for the Royal we filled our own bank machines in the branch.

Canada Post and the Royal Bank were the official distribution partners for the Jubilee 50¢ coins, which makes it even more absurd that I can't get a roll of 50¢ coins from the main branch for the Royal.

First thing, try the post office.  The last 50 cent piece I received was from a postal counter when I was back in Toronto.  It was a momento of the Queen's 50th year, but the postman was giving them out as change from the register (not in little plastic envelopes). 

As to fake 20s...  I recently discovered, through a similar story, that the banks don't fill the ABMs.  They contract that service out.  Yes, they should still be reliable, but that's where the banks will pass the buck. (hee hee)

I just went across the street to the main branch of the Royal Bank and got the exact response I always get. The teller's face went blank, I explained that the coin is a regular mintage, she went to the cash cage and more cluelessness transpired. When I asked to order them, she said they couldn't. I explained they could, left my number and now expect to hear nothing.

Honestly. If I provided the level of "service" I typically get at banks when I was a teller, I would have been fired. Of course banks are different beasts now than they were then, but that is another rant. I don't know what I was expecting. After all this is the same branch that served me a counterfeit $20 out of their bank machine.

LOL - yeah. I guess you didn't notice that the "50¢" in my post is a link to the 50¢ coin page...

The whole point is I know these things are standard mintage, I used to get them by the roll when I was a bank teller, but now it seems bank tellers are completely oblivious to the fact that these things are still made.