Where Do Coins Come From?

coinsI’m meeting a business associate for lunch tomorrow. We’re expecting snow and/or ice in St. Louis, so the roads will be slick and dangerous. But what am I worried about? Finding coins to pay the parking meter.

Here’s the thing: I never have coins anymore. I pay for everything on my debit card so I can meticulously track every purchase. So I almost never have coins when I need to pay the parking meter. One time I even put a dollar under my windshield in the hopes the meter maid would take that; an hour later, the dollar was still there…and so was a ticket.

So in preparation for tomorrow, I started thinking about how I could get some coins between now and then. And not just a few coins–I want a substantial number of coins so I don’t have to think about this for a while or rack up any more parking tickets. I came up with (and dismissed) the following options:

  1. Bank. I could go to a bank and trade cash for coins. But can I just go to any bank for that purpose? I have no idea how that works.
  2. My old job. We had a soda machine at my old job, so I used to exchange my cash for those coins when I needed them. But it would be weird for me to go back to my old workplace just to get some coins, right? I’d end up with some unfortunate nickname like Jangles or Nickles.
  3. Grocery store. They must have plenty of coins at the grocery store, right? But I’m pretty sure they have machines there where you can get rid of your coins, not obtain more.
  4. Internet. Can I exchange cash for coins on the internet? I don’t think you can mail cash, so that probably wouldn’t work.

It’s almost like this is my first year on planet earth. How are all of you people getting your coins?!

9 thoughts on “Where Do Coins Come From?”

  1. So glad I’m not the only one with this problem!! My solution: the QT by my old job had an ATM from my bank located inside. I’d withdraw $20 and buy a $0.99 soda or something, which would give me back close to a dollar in coins. I’d usually do this again over the next few days to until I’d accumulated enough change to get me through whatever I might need, and then I’d run out again. I agree that sometimes coins feel a lot more valuable than they really are! Maybe if you have a Laundromat nearby you could duck in there and get some coins? They usually have change machines.

    Maybe someday we’ll be progressive enough to get parking meters that take debit cards! I’ve encountered those in other cities, and it was always so much easier.

    Reply
  2. Most banks will exchange cash for coins for free. Some however, do require you to have an account at that bank. When I used change regularly in my coin op laundry days, that was by far the most convenient option. Not only can you obtain a lot of coins in one transaction, they also come neatly packaged in rolls. The standard is $10 of quarters in one roll.

    Another option If you only want one roll: Sometimes if you ask very nicely, you can buy a roll from the till at a larger grocery store when you check out. This of course varies greatly depending on the employee, how much change they have on hand and store policies.

    Katie, even though the meters where I live now accept debit cards, I still keep a roll in my glove box as a back up. I rarely use them, but am so grateful they are there in those unexpected circumstances when I need change for a machine.

    Reply
    • I just realized that I basically expanded upon two of the ideas that you had already dismissed. Apologies if it was entirely unhelpful, but those have been the best solutions in my experience.

      Reply
  3. Because I’m obsessed with watching bad weather news. I saw last night that there have been debit card pilot systems installed on Euclid in CWE and downtown on 10th and Broadway and Pine.
    All of our problems may be solved soon!
    What to do now… I am invited every Christmas to play Pokeno (sp?) with my best friend’s family. It’s kind of like Bingo but you play and win quarters… I’m sure at some point I purchased a roll of quarters but now it’s an endless supply. In between Christmases I keep the magical bag in my car and never go without. I don’t even know where they come from! You need a magical Pokeno bag of quarters.

    Reply
  4. Thank you all for your ideas! I think there might be a Laundromat just around the corner, so I might try that. Kristin, $10 of quarters would be amazing. Oh, the things I could do with $10 of quarters! I could park for weeks in Clayton without worrying about the meter maid. That is my new greatest fantasy.

    I’m going to the grocery store today, so I’ll try the “ask very nicely” method to see how that works out.

    Jodie, I’ll keep my eye out for local Pokeno games. 🙂

    Reply
  5. In Seattle (and some other cities) there is a system of purchasing parking time from a vending machine that will accept cash and debit, and print a sticker, which goes on the inside of your curb-side rear window. It prints the exact time it expires and the time it’s printed, so you don’t have to meter-watch, just check your iPhone (or, if you wanna get anachronistic, set your watch). This also allows benefits like subsidized parking for handicapped persons and delivery vehicles, and a central system that can change rates with some frequency (for example, higher cost at rush hour or during days of local events). I’m sure it also helps meter-checkers notice where there has been traffic but not paid meters recently.

    If you’re EXTREMELY BORED and want to read all about it ….
    https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/parking/default.htm

    Reply
    • They had this is Park City, UT when I was there last year. It was awesome. I’m sure they jack it up to like, $75/hour when Sundance is happening! (which was scheduled the week after I left. Good for my pocketbook, but I was sad to miss it.)

      Reply
    • That’s awesome! I think one parking lot in Clayton has something like that, and they might accept dollars there, but not cards.

      Reply

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