Sunday Chuckle: No Quarter (by Mrs. LeBrain)

Currency is a method used to pay for goods and services in the country or region where these good and services are provided.  Its denominations are very specific and exact.  Often, the customer cannot pay the vendor an exact amount so the vendor is required to return the difference to the customer to complete the transaction.  This action is commonly referred to as making “change”.

Money is highly recognisable to its users.  Larger denominations are made of universally sized paper and plastic sheets referred to as “bills”.  Smaller denominations are metal pieces with a circular shape in a variety of sizes known as “coins”.  The different sizes typically indicate value so they can easily be detected and assessed by their users.  Many nations have ‘coins’ very similar in colour and shape, but with the value of these coins being so small, most users cannot be bothered to examine these pieces closely to confirm authenticity.

A common coin in Canada is known as a “quarter” which has a value of 25 cents.  (1/4 of a dollar) To put this into perspective, my daily coffee costs about eight quarters and an ass-kicking rock CD would cost Lebrain about 80 of these things.

One afternoon, after having a morning coffee with one of my girlfriends, we decided to visit the “Golden Arches” for a quick and unhealthy lunch.  The order came out to $11.25, and for once I had EXACT change (woot!!!).  I reached into my purse and pulled out my ten dollar bill, my one dollar coin (known in Canada as a ‘Loonie’) and what I thought was a “quarter”.

The cashier and her supervisor examined the coin closely and gave it back to me.

McD:  “What is this?”

Me:  “A quarter.”

McD:  (In a rude, shaming tone) “No it isn’t and we can’t accept it from you”

I took the coin back and gave the cashier a fifty dollar bill (making her provide me with a lot of change to complete the transaction.  It turns out the “quarter” was a Swiss Franc with an exchange value of $1.27 CAD.

Their loss, my gain.  I just hope they didn’t spit in my fries.

Mrs. LeBrain

26 comments

  1. I love when foreign coins turn up in loose change! Cool story, shame they didn’t take it. She also missed a perfect opportunity to avoid the rude tone and just say “Franc-ly, it isn’t a quarter. Do you have another quarter, perhaps?”

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        1. I believe Chinese coins haven’t had a hole for centuries. But Japanese currency, on the other hand, still has two coins with a hole in the center.

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        7. Should I keep going? Oh sure why not.

          You think you’re some kind of Jedi waving your hands like that? I’m a Toydarian, mind tricks do not work on me, only money, Liam Neeson!

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        8. >That’d be it then! My aunt lived in Tokyo for years as a teacher (in Japanese!).

          Your aunt can speak Japanese? What did she teach? In a private school?

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  2. I have a few foreign coins that I’ve collected via change, but I’ve never, to my knowledge, handed one over when paying for stuff. Certainly never been alerted to it.

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  3. I had this happen to me as well. Once a New Zealand coin, looking very much like the UK pound one was discovered in my change. I couldn’t remember where I got it from as I made several purchases at different shops that day. Good revenge with the 50!

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  4. Every now and again, we would wind up with Canadian coins (mostly quarters), but come to think of it, it has been years since that has happened. I do know Coke machines here will not take the Canadian quarter no matter how many times you stick it in there.

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    1. Hahaha yup! And the reverse is also true. If I try to jam a US quarter in a vending machine, it’s not going to end well!

      Where I am, we see a lot of US change. They’re so similar in size. So we just keep them, Except in vending machines they’re used just like Canadian coins.

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  6. Ha…nice great write up Jen!
    I’m surprised you weren’t brought back to a small room in the back and interrogated!
    Speaking of which I hate paying a these places that put the tip amount right on the debit machine…
    I prefer to pay cash and tip what i want to tip not being told I have 3 options to tip!
    Gah!

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  7. I have mistakenly tried used Cuba coins.
    Speaking of Cuba. The onlt country in the world( I think) in which the US dollar is worth less than the Canadian.
    Also, I still have Canadian pennies I can’t use any more.
    I’ve seen signs when I am on vacation in USA stating “Do not use Canadian coins”

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