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OVERCAST Temp: 47 °F Wind: NNW at 9 mph Saturday, December 21, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend December 13, 2002 Since You Asked Sacajawea coins are still in mint condition We appreciated the convenience of $1 and $2 coins when we visited British Columbia recently. Canada has eliminated $1 and $ 2 bills. What happened to all the gold Sacajawea coins that were minted recently? I see very few locally. — Kathy M., Ashland Ah, the case of the missing coins. We called in the Since You Asked crack investigators to solve the mystery. According to Carl Lorenz, numismatist and gemologist at Rogue Valley Coin and Jewelry Exchange in Medford, it’s a simple matter of convenience. Apparently, it’s not very convenient for most retailers to use the coins because their tills lack a place for them. Also, clerks are used to grabbing for bills rather than coins when making change, Lorenz said. "What’s going to make the dollar coin work is to get rid of the bill," he said. The coins were developed principally for use on the East Coast in road and bridge toll machines and laundry machines, said Lorenz. Portland’s light rail vending machines give back change for bills in the $1 coins. A lot of people have hoarded the coins too. "They think it’s going to be a rarity, but there’s so many being hoarded there’s really no chance of it," said Lorenz. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S