The U.S. Mint is asking if you can spare a dime.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact the health of the country and also the economy, the government is facing a coin shortage. Because of the pandemic, more people in the United States have been using credit cards and cashless payment options, resulting in a dearth of quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies.
“Simply put, there is an adequate amount of coins in the economy, but the slowed pace of circulation has meant that sufficient quantities of coins are sometimes not readily available where needed. You may be experiencing this in your local communities,” the mint said in a statement last week.
“We ask that the American public start spending their coins, depositing them, or exchanging them for currency at financial institutions or taking them to a coin redemption kiosk,” the mint, which is part of the Treasury Department, added.
Businesses have also taken notice of the shortage and are trying out ways to combat their lack of coins. A Chick-fil-A in Virginia is offering customers free food coupons if they bring in rolled coins to exchange for cash. Several 7-Eleven convenience stores are also offering free Slurpees for $5 in change.
The coronavirus, which first emerged late last year in central China, has since infected some 4.3 million people in the U.S. and has killed nearly 150,000. Worldwide, that number balloons to more than 16.6 million cases and 657,000 deaths.
