This is not entirely metric, but it is a small essay on simplicity.
The metric system in Germany was simplicity itself, but the euro coins weren't.
I sure do like U.S. coinage better!!
The euro coin sets have a logical design sequence, but there are just too many
of them to be convenient--one-, two-, five-, 10-, 20-, 50-cent, and one- and
two-euro coins. Whenever I had to fish into my pocket for change, I had a
festival of searching among the many golden-colored coins for the right
combination. The one- and two-euro coins are bimetallic and easy to spot, but
not the lesser value coins.
U.S. coins, however, circulate in only four popular denominations: one-, five,
10-, and 25-cent pieces. They may be illogically sized (e.g., the 10-cent piece
is smaller than the five-cent piece and the one-cent piece), but they are
identifiable at a glance. Even the unpopular half-dollar and one-dollar U.S.
coins are unique in appearance, and would pose no additional visual burden if
they circulated.
--
Paul Trusten, R.Ph.
3609 Caldera Boulevard, Apartment 122
Midland TX 79707-2872 USA
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"There are two cardinal sins, from which all the others spring: impatience and
laziness."
---Franz Kafka
