Public Media for Central Pennsylvania
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Dollar Coins In The Wild

Thanks to Planet Money listeners for submitting these photos.
Jess Jiang
/
NPR
Thanks to Planet Money listeners for submitting these photos.

On today's Planet Money: More on the mountain of dollar coins sitting unused in government vaults.

We talk to self-described 'travel hackers' who use frequent-flier mile credit cards to buy dollar coins and pile up miles.

And we learn that the U.S. Mint — just today! — said it would stop letting people use credit cards to buy the coins.

Money quote from the mint:

The Mint has determined that this policy change is prudent due to ongoing activity by individuals purchasing $1 coins with credit cards, accumulating frequent flyer miles, and then returning coins to local banks.

Also on the show: Why Ecuador loves U.S. dollar coins.

Teacher Rebecca Kayes shows off the dollar coins she uses in Quito, Ecuador.
/ Rebecca Kayes
/
Rebecca Kayes
Teacher Rebecca Kayes shows off the dollar coins she uses in Quito, Ecuador.

Subscribe to the podcast. Music: Cut Copy's "Light & Music" Find us: Twitter/ Facebook.

Planet Money's Wall-To-Wall Dollar Coin Coverage:

$1 Billion That Nobody Wants

How Frequent Fliers Exploit A Government Program To Get Free Trips

Dollar Coin Loophole Closes For Frequent Fliers

Bill Would Kill Dollar Coin Program

Senators Call Dollar Coin Pileup 'Troubling'

Ecuador Needs Your Dollar Coins : Planet Money

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Tags