In My Change at Our Local 7-11

 This was given me in my change at my local 7-11 store the other day







Oh my goodness!  At first I thought that it was an older issued Dollar coin.  

A closer examination showed it to be a USA Half Dollar coin: a bi-centennial minting.
 
I have not seen or used such a coin in lo so many years.  The 7-11 store clerk was pleased that I accepted it without protest. 

Oh the curiosity of USA coinage

A Penny or cent:  100 of these per dollar.
 
A Nickle:  A despised coin, worth five cents.

A Dime:  "Buddy can you spare a dime?"  

A Quarter: Obviously one quarter of a dollar.

An older generation would sometimes refer to a Quarter as "Two Bits".  Before the U.S.A. had a settled currency both British,  and Colonial Spanish coins were widely used. 

The Real, a Silver coin was sometimes cut into eight pieces, or bits.  (D'ya remember "Pieces of Eight?") 

Thus two bits would be worth a quarter  of a Real.

When the U.S. began to mint its own currency ( Pennies, Dimes, Nickels, Quarters  (as above) it became common jargon to refer to the Quarter as Two Bits.

We've of course had Dollar Coins, the most recent being the Susan Anthony Dollar (which never "caught on").

Half dollar coins are infrequently see, but one landed in my hand two days ago).





 

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