Who was it?

HeadInSand_2

malestrom07 wrote: »

The currency she spent bears the monarchs head, so it's legal tender and good for her.

Not entirely accurate - as with most things there is a fair use policy, a shop may decline a transaction if the loose change is deemed excessive - especially if it's not 'rolled' or bagged - bagged isn't so bad as all large shops will have money scales and it can be quickly processed.

The currency she spent bears the monarchs head

Stamps are legal tender and also bear her head, technically you should be able to spend them *anywhere* - but you'd have a mighty hard time spending them in your local corner shop or market, you could probably spend them in a supermarket, once you've had the manager out.
Just because it meets one set of criteria doesn't mean people will automatically accept the currency. Take Scottish notes for example, an exact equivalent to any English note in terms of Sterling value, perfectly legal tender - yet the amount of times I've had it declined in a shop is unreal - just goes to show you that a shop can, and will, take whatever currency it deems suitable regardless of how many heads it has on it or how loudly someone bleats about it.

debrag

well £1 & £2 coins I look at them the same as notes, smaller coins are change. I'm always paying with these at the end of the month. Going to the bank I already have everything in money banks in the right amount, they don't count them then just use the machine to make sure the bags are correct.

HeadInSand_2

debrag wrote: »

well £1 & £2 coins I look at them the same as notes, smaller coins are change. I'm always paying with these at the end of the month. Going to the bank I already have everything in money banks in the right amount, they don't count them then just use the machine to make sure the bags are correct.

£1 and £2 are high enough value not to be a nuisance, in fact I've just this moment paid in £100 worth of £1 and £2 to the bank, as you say they throw them on the scales, squiggle a receipt and you're on your way within moments. Even in a shop spending £50~£100 in £2 coins wouldn't be that big a deal and no one would bat an eyelid at that. It's only really high volumes of shrapnel (low value coinage) that will draw a problem due to the time and inconvenience involved.

ZTD

HeadInSand wrote: »

Stamps are legal tender and also bear her head,

I think people are getting confused over what legal tender is. Wiki has a nice little note on it.

You can pay for stuff with things that are not legal tender, but that is with the discretion of the other party - assuming that payment is not already part of a contract with them.

HeadInSand_2

ZTD wrote: »

I think people are getting confused over what legal tender is. Wiki has a nice little note on it.

You can pay for stuff with things that are not legal tender, but that is with the discretion of the other party - assuming that payment is not already part of a contract with them.

Of course you can barter/trade with whatever you want, assuming the other party is reciprocative to such a deal. I'm talking about *legal* tender, tender that you would expect can be spent/accepted anywhere within this Country. The point I'm making is that although it *IS* "legal tender" it still might not be accepted (due to my points above) - naturally you probably couldn't trade a live chicken for some ham in Tesco, but at a market you never know - but this is a total digression from what I am talking about.

GettingThingsDone

Take Scottish notes for example, an exact equivalent to any English note in terms of Sterling value, perfectly legal tender

Nope - they're nae legal tender. Check out ZTD's link to wikipedia. I *OFTEN* have this 'discussion' with my (Scottish) OH

gtd

HeadInSand_2

GettingThingsDone wrote: »

Nope - they're nae legal tender. Check out ZTD's link to wikipedia. I *OFTEN* have this 'discussion' with my (Scottish) OH

gtd

Ok, I concede to this point

ZTD

HeadInSand wrote: »

Of course you can barter/trade with whatever you want, assuming the other party is reciprocative to such a deal. I'm talking about *legal* tender, tender that you would expect can be spent/accepted anywhere within this Country. The point I'm making is that although it *IS* "legal tender" it still might not be accepted (due to my points above) - naturally you probably couldn't trade a live chicken for some ham in Tesco, but at a market you never know - but this is a total digression from what I am talking about.

My point is: If it is "legal tender" then it *must* be accepted. If I owe you £100,000 then I can pay for that in £1 coins, and you *must* accept it. Or be prosecuted and possibly go to jail.

The word "legal" in "legal tender" indicates there is a law enforcing its acceptance. If there is no law, then it is not *legal* tender.

HeadInSand_2

Currently, 20 pence pieces, 25 pence coins (although many retail outlets do not recognise or accept this) and 50 pence pieces are legal tender in amounts up to 10 pounds; 5 pence pieces and 10 pence pieces are legal tender in amounts up to 5 pounds; and 1 penny pieces and 2 pence pieces are legal tender in amounts up to 20 pence.

That says it all in terms of the shrapnel argument. Queen's head or no Queen's head - it doesn't have to be accepted in large amounts.

ZTD

The original post was for 50 quid - so 10 pounds of 20p, 10 pounds of 50p, 5 pounds of 5p and 5 pounds of 10p with 20 pounds of £1 coins would have to be accepted.

Though that does depend on exactly where the transaction would have been deemed to have gotten to.