Our one and two dollar coins are a gold colour but different sizes, the one is smaller than the two. Many little events call for a gold coin donation... you can choose. It works. I quite like the coin thing. The paper currency was invalid on x day and the one, two and five cent coins were phased out over quite a long time. Shame about the one cent pieces... they were exactly the same size and weight as a US dime. I seem to remember buying the local paper whilst visiting the states for two cents (am I dating myself here?).
That totally works here in Germany too. At grocery stores, shopping carts require a 1 euro coin to be inserted in a slot by the cart "handle" to let the wheels roll and move around. When you return your cart to the rack from which you got it, your 1 euro coin pops out and you go on your way. It encourages people to not leave carts everywhere. The same system is used for luggage carts at the airport. For whatever reason, the US quarter works in all of the slots that you are supposed to insert a euro coin. I haven't used them in a newspaper machine or a candy/soda machine yet.....I really should try....
That's actually a brilliant idea!
Coin op shopping carts have been around for ages. I remember them at....I think it was BJs Wholesale Club? Dunno what ever happened to the idea...kinda faded away.
Only place I can recall seeing them is at airports. But, since everyone and their mother seems to be running around w/ a shopping car in L.A., seems like it would be a good idea to implement here.
