Hi:

FWIW, I did not like the one-pound coin -- I found it too heavy. The one advantage was that you could easily differentiate it by touch. In contrast, I find the size of the Sagawega & dead-president coins and the loonie/twonie to be reasonable. The lack of color differentiation is part of what killed the Susie IMHO.

I assume in a place like Boston, where the fare on the T is now $2, the dollar coins are in wide use. I was there for a couple of hours recently and got my Charlie Card from the machine with a $5 bill ... I got $3 in change in coins.

I singlehandedly tried to introduce dollar coins in my small town. When I went to the bank to get cash from the ATM, I took my $20 bills, went inside and exchanged them for rolls of $ coins. Over the course of a couple of months, my $150 disappeared without trace - presumably immediately returned to the bank by McDonalds, Burger King, and the cafeteria at work!!

Been putting $2 bills aside for 15 years. Got 3 or 4 so not a great way to save!

I was once told they are popular/prevalent at the track or OTB, but never confirmed.

Hi:

I once put in $20 into an L.A. Metro ticket machine for a $1.25 ticket. Got back three quarters and 18 dollar coins -- 14 of which were susies! If it had been 18 Sagagawea's I wouldn't have minded all that much. Like the Loonie or twonie, and the Sagagawea/dead president coins, I think that color matters.

BTW, the Hollywood/Vine Metro station now allows credit cards. But after what happened with the NYC Subway a few weeks ago, I've got to wonder.

p.s. I should look up the spelling of Sagagawea -- Lewis & Clark I know.

Ummmm....should it be spelled Sacagawea or am I missing something...

When I was living in MA there was an occasion when some kid working at the Dunkin Donuts who had never encountered the Susies before started handing them out as quarters. Within hours, the word had got around and you couldnt get near the place for people going in there to exchange bills for "Susan B Anthony quarters".

Stamp vending machines in post offices are another reliable source of dollar coins. Fans of Suziebucks were known to buy a single stamp with a $20 and eagerly collect the change.