Surprised by Canadian Nickel Find

[LooseChange]

Every now and then, I drop a few nickels into the vending machine at work and then push the coin return. I get all nickels back and search them (different nickels come back than what I put in). I can keep repeating that until I feel shamed/embarrassed enough to leave.
I haven't figured out how many times I could do that, but I know it is somewhere more than 15. I've found 2 keepers doing that (keepers by my standards anyway).

Today, I was surprised to get a 1992 Canadian in exchange for a Jefferson. There wasn't anything special about it, I was just surprised to get a Canadian nickel from a vending machine. I dropped it back in and sure enough, it took - the machine showed 0.05 credit. I pressed the coin return and got a US Jefferson.

So, I did some research. 1982 to 1999 Canadian nickels (as well as some other mintages) are the same alloy as modern US nickels (75%/25% ), the same diameter (21.2mm) and nearly the same weight (slightly lighter because they are slightly thinner). That makes me believe that bank counters (and Coinstar for that matter) will probably take them. Although I could just occasionally feed them into the vending machine at work .

I looked through my off-sorted Canadian coin bin and found 83 1982 to 1999 Cad-Nics that I figured I'd have to hold until visiting our northern neighbor. Sure, that's only $4. But, still fun to discover.

 

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[cdickrun64]

I used to do the same thing when i was in college, which was a long time ago. A good ploy on a sunday when da banksters are closed.

 

[Quin]

Haha this is great. I used to do this with the vending machines in the ice rink while I waited for my mom to finish skating after school. I would usually do quarters and just look for bicentennials because I really liked them, but I would do it with nickels too. This brought back memories!

 

[FormerTeller]

The down side is depending on the machine, you may be depleting its ability to make change. Not cool for the owner.

 

[mxh5891]

The down side is depending on the machine, you may be depleting its ability to make change. Not cool for the owner.

I'm trying to figure out how that is true? First off let me state I have no idea how the inner workings of a vending machine work. Do the coins put in go to a separate coin container in the machine? I just would have figured that they go to the same place the others go to and eventually the person would start getting their original coin back.

 

[LooseChange]

I'm trying to figure out how that is true? First off let me state I have no idea how the inner workings of a vending machine work. Do the coins put in go to a separate coin container in the machine? I just would have figured that they go to the same place the others go to and eventually the person would start getting their original coin back.

I'm pretty sure this is true. Intuitively, coins coming in land on the top of the pile while coins going out feed from the bottom of the pile.

Even if not, I've never found the machine unable to make change - so if I'm causing trouble, it is minor and infrequent.

 

[enamel7]

Coins put in land in a bin to be removed later. Change comes from holders that dispense change when needed. So yes, when that runs empty the machine will then say correct change only.

 

[LooseChange]

Coins put in land in a bin to be removed later. Change comes from holders that dispense change when needed. So yes, when that runs empty the machine will then say correct change only.

Yep. Enamel7 is right.
Turns out that there is a collection bin and there are change tubes.

Funny thing is that when I researched it, I found a photo where someone is loading change tubes and it almost looks like a Ag qtr (or modern Canadian) is in the queue. That makes me want to drain the qtrs dry at work - j/k.

 

[FormerTeller]

When you insert coins, on some machines it "tops off" the tube that hold coins before the overflow goes into the collection bin, so that it could theoretically make change continuously. On other machines, there is s finite supply of coins for making change, and coins you insert go straight into the collection bin. Either way, I wouldn't interfere with someone's livelihood just for the off chance to find something CRH'ing unless I saw silver first - then all bets are off!

 

[FormerTeller]

Funny thing is that when I researched it, I found a photo where someone is loading change tubes and it almost looks like a Ag qtr (or modern Canadian) is in the queue. That makes me want to drain the qtrs dry at work - j/k.

I have several friends who own vending machines. All have reported finding silver, sometime massive amounts over the years. One guy cashed in over $100 face in silver quarters from gum ball machines over a 2 year period (he had a LOT of machines).

 

[LooseChange]

When you insert coins, on some machines it "tops off" the tube that hold coins before the overflow goes into the collection bin, so that it could theoretically make change continuously. On other machines, there is s finite supply of coins for making change, and coins you insert go straight into the collection bin. Either way, I wouldn't interfere with someone's livelihood just for the off chance to find something CRH'ing unless I saw silver first - then all bets are off!

I now have a clear conscience to CRH the vending machine for nickels.

I stumbled onto the answer of if the change tubes get refilled. Today, I started sliding nickels into the vending machine with the goal of getting some nacho cheese pretzel pieces. First nickel, dull thud up high in machine; 2nd nickel, same thing; 3rd nickel, loud "clank" from down low; 4th nickel, same loud "clank". I figured that the first 2 refilled the change tube and the second 2 fell into the collection bin. I decided to test my theory and pushed the change return. I got 4 nickels (different from the 4 that I put in). I fed those 4 back in and all did the dull thud up high. Fifth one in did the "clank" down low. The rest of the nickels I used to get to the $0.85 purchase price of the pretzel pieces all did the "clank".

My conclusion: There is no worry of draining the change tube so long as I put an equal number in as to what I take out (on that particular machine anyway).

 

[FormerTeller]

Correct

 

[ugotit22]

The down side is depending on the machine, you may be depleting its ability to make change. Not cool for the owner.

An then someone has to take a dump in the cherrios