Dollar coins are quite handy for parking in San Francisco. In many places in the city parking is $3.00 per hour. Feeding nickels, dimes, and quarters into those grinning meters becomes ridiculous. I keep several dollar coins in my car for trips to S.F.

I got a few from the Post Office machine, and they resemble foil covered chocolate coins. Just don't try to unwrap them!

A saloon in El Dorado gives change in Susies.

I rather dread to think what susie might be slang for!!

Sorry - Susan B. Anthony dollar.
Just for kicks, get a roll of Susies or Sakajaweas, or the new President dollar coins and see how many mistake it for aquarter.

In Europe they've had 1 and 2 euro coins since the euro was introduced a few years ago. That would be roughly equivalent to $1 and $2 coins.

Well, they all complain about the 1 euro coin, saying that they end up with a lot of them in their wallet which ends up being heavy, and that they'd rather have 1 euro banknotes instead. And I would agree. When I am in Europe I always end up with this heavy, full, wallet. It would seem to me, the same thing will happen with $1 coins...

Right on Walter! I have spent way too many dollar coins as quarters, even when I'm make a conscious effort to differentiate.

Dollar coins can be a convenience, but I will continue to avoid them until they make one that can instantly be told apart from a quarter by looks and feel.

(I've never noticed such confusing similarities in European currencies.)

I believe someone proposed a silver dollar sized plastic coin whose lighter weight might overcome one objection to coins. During WWII there were plastic ration tokens that seemed to wear well. The plastic coin might even incorporate an electronic means of validation.

One big difference here to Europe (including Britain where Pounds are still used, not Euros) is that Europeans tend to aim to give exact change rather than get change back. This tendency prevents them from getting over fat wallets. As I see it, the reason why the same doesn't happen here is because of sales tax and not knowing what the exact money is until you actually have to pay so you end up getting out a big bill knowing that that will cover it. For example, if you want to buy a magazine which is marked as costing $2.50, you will get out $3 in ones, or $5 bill and expect some change. In Europe you would get out the exact money and not have to wait for change. In other words, take up less time at the check out. Here, if I wait until I am told how much I have to pay, I hold the line up looking for the correct money and waste my time as well as those in line behind. If I could know what the exact money was I would be out in half the time and so would everyone else.

While we're on the topic, why is U.S. paper money so ugly compared to other countries'?

If you plan to use them for vending machines, stock up and carry in a separte coin purse. For the rest of us they are too heavy and can't easily be told from quarters - especially in dim light.