You know you are getting old when:

[HanauMan]

Funny thing about the $2 bills was that they, and the $1 Eisenhower and $1 Susan Anthony coins, were used widely in the military in Germany back in the 1970s but when we returned to 'The World' many places wouldn't take them as payment. The Eisenhower dollars were widely used in Casinos, but less so elsewhere. Nobody wanted the Susan Anthony dollars either. Which was a bummer because I came back with a handful of them, same with the $2 bills. I still have a few of them as well, dated 1976.

 

[LizzieMaine]

When the SBA dollars first came out, I had to spend the better part of an afternoon with a screwdriver and a pair of pliers, unjamming one from the coin slot of our Coke machine after somebody force-jammed one into an opening made to take a quarter. We made money on the transaction, but still.

I never saw an Ike dollar in circulation. They were occasionally given as birthday presents by one or another of my elderly aunts, and I couldn't get to the bank to break them fast enough. None of the local stores would take them.

Postwar American coinage, in general, is hideous and unimaginative. The only modern coin I like is the Sacagawea dollar, just for her STOP SCREWING AROUND YOU GUYS AND GET MOVING expression. The rest of them are at best tedious, and at worst -- most of the novelty quarters of the last twenty years and those unconscionable monstrosities of Presidential dollars -- look like the sort of trashy premium that might be handed out at a Shell station in 1969. "Hey Kids! Collect them all!"

 

[HanauMan]

Postwar American coinage, in general, is hideous and unimaginative. The only modern coin I like is the Sacagawea dollar, just for her STOP SCREWING AROUND YOU GUYS AND GET MOVING expression. The rest of them are at best tedious, and at worst -- most of the novelty quarters of the last twenty years and those unconscionable monstrosities of Presidential dollars -- look like the sort of trashy premium that might be handed out at a Shell station in 1969. "Hey Kids! Collect them all!"

I kind of agree with your sentiments, but I do like some of the State quarters, especially the California John Muir / Yosemite quarters.

However, my favorite post war coin is the 1776 - 1976 bicentennial quarter, purely out of nostalgic reasons.

 

[2jakes]

I kind of agree with your sentiments, but I do like some of the State quarters, especially the California John Muir / Yosemite quarters.

However, my favorite post war coin is the 1776 - 1976 bicentennial quarter, purely out of nostalgic reasons.

 

[HanauMan]

Yeah, just love the Morgans.

 

[tonyb]

I recall getting and receiving the Ikes. At least they were of a size not to be confused with lesser denominations. Same with the Kennedy half-dollars. Haven't seen an example of either in the wild in what must be a couple of decades or more now.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I prefer the Peace dollars myself. My grandfather used to collect Morgans, and I always thought the Liberty head looked like the bouncer at a bar frequented by "lady wrestlers." Blanche Payson didn't model for it, but she could have.

I was given a 1923 Peace dollar for my tenth birthday, and I still carry it in my pocketbook.

 

[3fingers]

most of the novelty quarters of the last twenty years

The state quarters suck eggs. Half of them drop through the vending machines into the coin returns and won't register. Phooey.

 

[3fingers]

View attachment 111649

I have that same year dollar that was a gift to my grandfather from his favorite uncle. My grandad carried it in his billfold for his entire life. It is worn completely smooth.

 

[2jakes]

I recall getting and receiving the Ikes. At least they were of a size not to be confused with lesser denominations. Same with the Kennedy half-dollars. Haven't seen an example of either in the wild in what must be a couple of decades or more now.

For me, the Sacajawea and the Susan B. Anthony Dollars were very similar in size to quarters.
I stopped carrying them when I went to plastic. I still have several of these coins somewhere in boxes.
Mostly the smaller nickel and dimes were part of my pocket baggage when public telephones or phone booths were popular and required coins to make
local or long distance calls.

And you know you are getting old if you remember...

“Collect calls”
“Reverse charges!”
You got a human voice right away instead of a recording with several options
including Spanish.

 

[tonyb]

^^^^^
That's about the, um, size of it. SBA's and Sacajaweas were too close to quarter size. And they looked kinda cheap. It effectively did a disservice to the memory of both subjects. Whereas Ikes and Kennedys at least felt substantial.

 

[3fingers]

Or you got a human voice right away"

I remember the operator coming on and asking for your number when you dialed a call from your own house so they would know who to bill the call to. You coud theoretically give them any number in your exchange though most people must have been honest as I don't remember people complaining much about being billed for calls they didn't make.

 

[2jakes]

^^^^^
That's about the, um, size of it. SBA's and Sacajaweas were too close to quarter size. And they looked kinda cheap. It effectively did a disservice to the memory of both subjects. Whereas Ikes and Kennedys at least felt substantial.

Do you recall this being done to a penny?

 

[Zombie_61]

And you know you are getting old if you remember...

“Collect calls”
“Reverse charges!”
You got a human voice right away instead of a recording with several options
including Spanish.

Para español, oprima el dos.

 

[tonyb]

Do you recall this being done to a penny? View attachment 111674

Many times. In my elementary school days we covered part of the walk to and from school on a stretch of railroad tracks. We flattened pennies from time to time, but larger denominations were plainly too precious for that treatment.

 

[tonyb]

Steel pennies were still in circulation in my early years. So we're Liberty dimes and Indian head nickels.

 

[1mach1]

Remember when milk was just milk? I go to the store now and I have to search for milk through all its various incarnations now.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

 

[Zombie_61]

Do you recall this being done to a penny? View attachment 111674

The house I grew up in was right next to an active rail line, so...no, not really.

I do remember police pursuing a raised four-wheel-drive Jeep one day, and the driver of the Jeep chose to use that rail line as a means of escape. The officer in the police cruiser followed, and the much lower cruiser got hung up on the tracks. Fortunately, their quick-thinking commanding officer notified Union Pacific of the incident, and they managed to stop the oncoming freight train 50 yards before it struck the cruiser.

 

[2jakes]

Remember when milk was just milk? I go to the store now and I have to search for milk through all its various incarnations now.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

Do you check the date on the milk, bread or meat items?
Is there a difference in flavor or quality between famous name brand
and local store brand?
Do you have a grocery list or wander from aisle to aisle like my friend
from Maine?
Do you go to the check-out aisle with more than 15 items?
Do you pay with cash?
If you get change, does the clerk count the change or just hands it to you?
When you have several items, does the clerk asks if you need a bag?
Do you still have the options of paper or plastic bags?
How do you feel about self-service check-out?
Do you tip yourself for being courteous to yourself?

Pet peeve:
I cannot find much difference anymore between butter and margarine!

 

[3fingers]

Is there a difference in flavor or quality between famous name brand
and local store brand?

Usually not much, but certain things yes there is. Milk being one of them. We have a regional dairy company called Prairie Farms. Their milk is noticeably better tasting than the store labelled milk. I have been told that they are now filling jugs for some Wal-Mart products too, so maybe the Great Value or whatever Wal-Mart's brand is would be equivalent. I'll probably never know though, since Wal-Mart is not on my favored vendor list.