On Mon, 2 Jan 2012 00:09:14 -0500, "F. Barry Mulligan"
wrote:

If you went to a US Assay Office, you could get full value. After
failing to talk you out of it, they would get out a set of scales and
weights, open the safe and get a pouch of silver powder and measure the
appropriate amount into a glassine envelope. They were definitely not
happy about all this, particularly since they knew the customer would
quickly realize there was nothing he could do with a little envelope of
silver dust.

Unless one had enough little envelopes and one's hobby was jewelry
making. A dentist friend of mine makes jewelry out of reclaimed gold
that cannot be reused in her practice..
--

Phil Kane - Beaverton, OR
PNW Beburg MP 28.0 - OE District

On Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:25:12 +0000, "
wrote:

I remember seeing a Federal Reserve note that was printed in Honolulu.
It was the only time that I have ever seen one.

In general, the FRNs do not stray very far from the District in which
they were issued, certainly not now that cash is starting to be used
less and less.

It most probably was printed by the US Treasury's Bureau of Engraving
and Printing at their facility in Washington DC. Hawaii is located
within the 12th Federal Reserve District (San Francisco) and unless
that was one of the special Hawaii-issue notes of WW-II, it would have
had the San Francisco indicia.
--

Phil Kane - Beaverton, OR
PNW Beburg MP 28.0 - OE District

On Mon, 2 Jan 2012 05:21:31 -0800 (PST), "Peter T. Daniels"
wrote:

? Is currency printed anywhere but the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing in Washington, DC?

There's another printing facility in Fort Worth, TX. Not to be
confused with "government checks" which were printed in several other
locations, some of which have been closed now that The Uncle demands
electronic funds transfer for many of the things that they used to
print "green paper checks".
--

Phil Kane - Beaverton, OR
PNW Beburg MP 28.0 - OE District

On Jan 2, 3:05 pm, Phil Kane wrote:

In general, the FRNs do not stray very far from the District in which
they were issued, certainly not now that cash is starting to be used
less and less.

Some time ago, for the heck of it we built a collection of bills from
every Fed District. While the majority of bills were from our home
district and an adjacent one, it didn't take too long to build a full
set.

years ago, what was the largest size bill subway clerks and commuter
railroad conductors would accept? I doubt many people would put in a
$20 bill for a 5c subway fare, and counterfeiting was a risk. On
commuter railroads way back fares were relatively cheap, so I don't
think a $20 bill was appreciated for a 50c fare.

On the other hand, a railroad ticket office could sell expensive
tickets for a long trip, such as Pullman tickets to Chicago for a
family.


As an aside, years ago when we travelled my father used traveler's
checks. I wonder if anyone still does in this day of credit cards.
(I once lost some Am Exp travelers checks and they did refund them
easily and immediately.)

(I didn't realize back then Am Exp made their money on the 'float
time' between when the consumer bought the traveler's checks and the
time they were used, more so than the fee itself.)

[2]

" wrote:
Do busses in Westchester County still accept dollar bills?

No. Metrocard fareboxes don't take bills, so the Westchester system
stopped accepting bills when they got Metrocard in 2007.

At least one of the former private NYC bus lines used to take bills
and Metrocards. They had to install two fareboxes to do this.

Jimmy

On 12/28/2011 12:00 PM, wrote:
On Dec 27, 5:09 pm, wrote:
On 12/27/2011 1:00 PM, wrote:









On Dec 27, 12:38 pm,
wrote:

I don't know about NYC, but in Phila, initially the driver
could punch a refund slip if a passenger overpaid. The slip
could be cashed in at the local bus garages. Obviously
punching up a slip took time and passengers arguing with the
driver over change took time.

Could they not have also used it as partial fare payment?

No, they could only be redeemed.

At some point after the cutover, the fare refund slips were
discontinued. Apparently people accepted exact fare by that
point and were used to it. Also, SEPTA resumed selling
token-packets at a discount; and started selling passcards, so
for regular riders, exact fare wasn't an issue.

SEPTA, unlike NYC, accepts dollar bills on its buses. I don't
know why NYC's fareboxes aren't set up to handle that.

Because it's time consuming and a pain in the ass. Dropping change
in is easy and you can use dollar coins - though I suppose the
downside to dollar coins is about the only place I can readily find
them is in transit vending machines.

There, and ummmm...any bank in the country.

True, but I don't really ever see a need to go to the bank, and if I do
I prefer to use the ATM and skip the line.

In message , at 23:44:00
on Sun, 8 Jan 2012, Bolwerk remarked:
I don't really ever see a need to go to the bank, and if I do
I prefer to use the ATM and skip the line.

Here in the UK the ATMs often have a line as well.

And getting back to trains, so do automatic ticket machines, which can
have a longer line than the windows. But pre-purchased tickets can only
be collected from the machines.
--
Roland Perry

On Jan 9, 5:31*am, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 23:44:00
on Sun, 8 Jan 2012, Bolwerk remarked:

I don't really ever see a need to go to the bank, and if I do
I prefer to use the ATM and skip the line.

Here in the UK the ATMs often have a line as well.

Here, smaller branches may have only a single ATM, and there are ones
not physically attached to a bank (for instance in retail locations),
but many city bank branches have lobbies, accessible after-hours with
the ATM card, with several ATMs. The Chase branch on Broadway across
the street from St. Paul's Chapel, a block from the WTC and
[ObTransit] adjacent to the Fulton St. Transportation Complex (which
actually has above-ground structure now), has many open-air ATMs. At
such facilities there's rarely a wait of more than a person or two.

And getting back to trains, so do automatic ticket machines, which can
have a longer line than the windows. But pre-purchased tickets can only
be collected from the machines.

PATH stations have a variety of ticket machines. The single-purpose
cashless ones at the three terminals I use (haven't noticed where they
are in Newark, have never gotten off in Hoboken) for refilling a PATH
SmartCard often have no line at all, while there's often a line at the
ones with MTA MetroCards as well.

On 1/9/2012 5:31 AM, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at
23:44:00 on Sun, 8 Jan 2012, Bolwerk remarked:
I don't really ever see a need to go to the bank, and if I do I
prefer to use the ATM and skip the line.

Here in the UK the ATMs often have a line as well.

Well, let me elaborate: ATMs often have lines here, but generally not as
bad as tellers' lines. It's probably because people to 2-3 predictable
things with ATMs (withdraw, deposit, balance check) while all unusual
business probably goes to the teller (e.g., withdrawing dollar coins or
$2 bills).

And getting back to trains, so do automatic ticket machines, which
can have a longer line than the windows.

In NYC, our most immediate option for subway fare purchasing is a TVM.
I'm not sure buying from station attendants is an option anymore, and if
it is it's limited to certain types of rides.

But pre-purchased tickets can only be collected from the machines.

That, unfortunately, is something we don't have. Amtrak does it well
though.

Peter T. Daniels wrote:

Here, smaller branches may have only a single ATM, and there are ones
not physically attached to a bank (for instance in retail locations),
but many city bank branches have lobbies, accessible after-hours with
the ATM card, with several ATMs.

It may just be me or my banks, but my experience in the UK is that lobbies
are being steadily phased out by banks, sometimes by refurbishment,
sometimes by simply fully locking the door overnight. Several of my banks
are also making it almost impossible to deposit out of hours, whether by
removing lobbies, sealing letter boxes and/or withdrawing the ability to
deposit cheques & notes through ATMs.

For withdrawing cash there's usually enough open air machines, but every so
often the banking industry threatens to remove the LINK agreement that
allows people to use different banks' ATMs without charge and intoduce fees,
sometimes with the appalling title of "disloyalty fees". This is especially
annoying if you live in a suburb where your own bank hasn't bothered to
establish a small branch because there are large branches in neighbouring
suburbs to handle business and, crucially, enough branches from other banks
plus standalone ATMs that customers needing instant access to cash are
currently served well enough without fees.