Daniel, I'm the last person in America who wants to cling to non-metric units. But, as has often been said on this Listserver, currency is for counting, not for measuring. What I encountered on my recent trip to Germany I chalk up to sheer experience: four unique coins are just plain easier to manipulate than six very similar coins. Sure, I could get used to euro coinage if I had to, but I think that if the coins were as dissimilar in appearance as the U.S. coins, Europeans might enjoy them more. The euro notes (5,10,20, 50 euro bills) are each a different color and different size, and are recognizable at a glance. Wish the coins were like the notes.
To answer your question: In Germany, I also encountered euro coins with the markings of Spain and the Netherlands. It would have been great to have held euros from the Dutch, the Spanish, the Italians, and the French all in one hand, showing how far we've come since World War II. > From: "Daniel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: 2005/07/13 Wed PM 06:19:05 EDT > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [USMA:33539] metric Germany, yes---but euro coins, darn it! > > Maybe because you are use to the look of the US coins. > > Are you trying to understand why those who still cling to imperial do so > because they are use to it? > > How long do you think it would take for you to get use to the look of the > euro coins before you felt as comfortable or even more comfortable with them > then dollar coins? If you consider yourself average, then the amount of > time it would take you to adjust to the look and feel of the euro coins is > about the same amount of time it should take for the average person to > adjust to metric. > > BTW, how many different national euro coins did you encounter? > > Dan > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Paul Trusten" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, 2005-07-13 17:00 > Subject: [USMA:33539] metric Germany, yes---but euro coins, darn it! > > > > 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 > > > > > > > > -- > > No virus found in this incoming message. > > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > > Version: 7.0.323 / Virus Database: 267.8.13/47 - Release Date: 2005-07-12 > > > > > > -- 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
