Rules for making change

Comments

Anonymous
March 08, 2017
I don't quite get the idea of "canonical" money. If you have $2 bills, $1 coins, and 50¢ coins in your drawer, why on earth would you NOT use them when making change, where appropriate? Especially if the idea is to make change using the fewest number of bills and coins possible. Your third example has the cashier giving out 80¢ in change using the most efficient combination of coins possible using U.S. coins, but you claim that is unacceptable. What could possibly be wrong with that? That's using the denominations exactly as they were intended to be used.Error is in giving out multiple $1 and 25¢ denominations when making change. The way our currency is denominated in the U.S., only the penny, $2 bill, and $20 bill should ever need to be used more than once when making change, and only the penny should be used more than twice. Your rule about not using 50¢ and $2 denominations is just plain old silliness, in my opinion.
- Anonymous
  March 08, 2017
  The rule against handing out $2 bills, $1 coins, and $0.50 coins is to avoid confusing the customer who may not be used to these denominations. The Susan B. Anthony $1 coin is particularly problematic since it is frequently confused with the $0.25 coin that is a very similar size and shape.