Take a penny (cent), leave a penny protocol?

bblair

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Dec 16, 2011
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So I was visiting a place of business for my job today and approached the counter to talk to an employee. Like I'm sure all of us do, I glanced down at the coin container and saw wheat ears staring back at me. I spoke to the employee and walked away from the counter. I wanted to return and swap a zincoln for the wheatie but had nothing in my pocket. I sure wasn't going to walk to the car and grab a penny/cent and walk back in. The business wasn't busy so it wasn't like it would go unnoticed by employees.

Im just wondering what others have done if they see a keeper sitting in a "take a penny/leave a penny" container/tip jar?? I may start carrying around one of each denomination in my pocket just in case it happens again!

HH
bblair
 

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MentalUnrest

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Nov 14, 2010
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If its a penny (wheat) I don't bother. I've looked through thousands of dollars of pennies and know the odds of that one in there being a key date are slim and none.

If I saw a silver, I would offer to put 3-4x back in if I could take that one out. It's never happened though.

MU
 

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Sleepy Holow

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I think I would have gone to the car...haha. Stuff like that would have me wondering the rest of the day.
 

ArkieBassMan

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A good CRHer is always prepared for just such a situation. Carry a handfull of change with you at all times.

With no coin(s) to swap, you did the right thing by leaving it IMO.
 

maverick

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I allways stare at the coin containers ( help the what ever, take a penny leave a penny, donation cup) I haven't seen anything yet, but if I did, I wouldn't hesitate to ask if I could swap out somthing as long as it wasn't too much trouble, whats the worst they could say, no. HH, Maverick.
 

arnofarrell

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i have always wondered about this. I figured I should just pick up the jar or what ever and pour it into my hand and look through them and then if I dont find anything I will put all back in the jar. If I were to find something just swap it out coin for coin. I havent done this just thought about it.
 

boristhespider88

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I allways stare at the coin containers ( help the what ever, take a penny leave a penny, donation cup) I haven't seen anything yet, but if I did, I wouldn't hesitate to ask if I could swap out somthing as long as it wasn't too much trouble, whats the worst they could say, no. HH, Maverick.

One of my cousins used to always say "They can't shoot you for asking; the worst you can get is a no."
 

tlowery04

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I walk up and take what I want. But then again I used to work at a gas station so I know there really isn't a protocol. Just grab it and next time you see that person drop your coins in their take a penny cup. We always used to empty the cup to pay for lunch. And if we seeded the cup with some silver people were more likely to drop 13 cents in instead of 3.

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baddbluff

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I've had a couple good scores from those penny trays. One of my best wheats (a '31D) came out of one. I also pulled a silver Roosie from a tip jar at a burger place once. I actually gave them $1 for it. They were cool with that.
 

BuffaloBoy

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I once saw some IKE's in a donation bin at a local bank, I thought that was interesting... I have found wheats, but mostly canadian pennies in the give-a-penny bins, i don't really bother anymore, afterall, i get 12 wheats per box and all are common dates anyway.
hh
 

tlowery04

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That's a good run of boxes, I'm lucky to get 6.

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Seener53

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Last week I saw a Silver Eagle in one of those animal cruelty boxes at the bank counter. Asked if they can open it and retrieve the coin for a 15$ upgrade from a dollar into the donation box, and they said that they don't have the key :(
 

sagittarius98

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Last week I saw a Silver Eagle in one of those animal cruelty boxes at the bank counter. Asked if they can open it and retrieve the coin for a 15$ upgrade from a dollar into the donation box, and they said that they don't have the key :(

I look in those boxes always. Never found anything like that.
 

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bblair

bblair

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Good feedback and stories guys. I've concluded I'm going to keep a few coins in my pocket just in case...
 

Seener53

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I look in those boxes always. Never found anything like that.

Another time last year there was a 64 Ken in the same type of box at another branch and I got the same story, but I only offered a dollar for the coin. I think people run their coin and if they get rejects then they put them in those donation boxes.
 

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