TIL Ecuador doesn't have its own currency and uses US dollars, but maybe not the same US dollars you are used to seeing. - eviltoast
  • derf82@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Ecuadorians are very touchy about the condition of their paper bills. I tried to pay for a Panama hat with some cash that included a slightly torn but fully in tact $10, and the shop owner refused. As such, more durable dollar coins, which were minted by the US but never really caught on, are quite popular.

    Interestingly they do mint their own coins, with Ecuadorian half dollar, quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecuadorian_centavo_coins

    • 🇰 🌀 🇱 🇦 🇳 🇦 🇰 ℹ️@yiffit.net
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      9 months ago

      I like the Sacagawea and “Innovation” dollar coins. The problem with 'em, though, is people horde and collect them so they’re not as available as the regular paper bills even though they are currently still in production. They come across so rarely, I also tend to think “oooh I should hold onto this!” Whenever I get one back as change.

      The only downside to using them I’ve run into is having to show the clerk it’s a dollar and not a quarter.

      • BananaPeal@sh.itjust.works
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        9 months ago

        The tooth fairy put one of these under my kid’s pillow tonight. The thought is that he’s going to enjoy it more because it’s rare. It will end up in his piggy bank, out of circulation for who knows how long.

      • KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        9 months ago

        Wait, can’t yall just… go to the bank? I walked into a local bank a year or so ago and asked if I could exchange for them, they asked how many and just exchanged them like anything else.

        I’m sure if I wanted thousands that would be a problem, but I’d be surprised if they didn’t have at least a handful.