Too much time on their hands--Fake 100yen from 5c

[Taro Toporific]

Fake coins found in vending machines in Kadena
Japan Update: Okinawa / Oct 2
A vending machine operator discovered 72 face coins in his vending machines in Yara Athletic Park in Kadena Town that were used to get an equal amount of real 100-yen coins from the machines. Kadena Police say the fakes were made of U.S. five-cent coins that were flattened and polished to the size of Japanese 100-yen coins...

[devicenull]

thank you for reminding to stock up on nickels before i go over.

[Taro Toporific]

thank you for reminding to stock up on nickels before i go over.

Long ago I did some "testing" my office coffee machine (I have its keys) with 500won coins which used to be the same size and weight as 500 yen coins. No workie.

Who the hell would put the effort to flatten and polish nickels? I suppose one could make or get access to a 20+ ton press and a buffer, but sheesh, every old lady in the 'hood has the evil eye out for gaijin.

[kurohinge1]

Long ago I did some "testing" my office coffee machine (I have its keys) with 500won coins which used to be the same size and weight as 500 yen coins. No workie.
Who the hell would put the effort to flatten and polish nickels?

I remember doing some testing while in staying in London about 10 years ago, at a time when Oz still had 2 cent coins, which seemed to work as 50 pence coins in the laundromat. Unlike Taro, I didn't have the keys to reverse my testing and was forced to wash & dry my clothes for 8 cents (AUS) rather than about 2 pounds (about $5 AUS).

Outrageous, the things we do in our youth !

That's my

[Caustic Saint]

thank you for reminding to stock up on nickels before i go over.

Long ago I did some "testing" my office coffee machine (I have its keys) with 500won coins which used to be the same size and weight as 500 yen coins. No workie.

I didn't try any Won-Yen coin tricks in Tokyo. I can verify that the 100won (about 9 cents) coin is a perfect duplicate for a US quarter in mechanical (paperboxes or other non-electrical) vending machines. With the price of a newspaper getting higher and higher, it's a good way to save money.

These tricks usually don't work in soda machines and others that use electricity since they can perform a resistance test on the coin to see if it's the right material.

[Taro Toporific]

...
These tricks usually don't work ....

I once put an Iranian-made telephone card in a phone booth of the Chou Expressway Authority in the rest area closest to Shinjuku. The NTT phone ate my card and an intercom blasted a recording inside the booth saying that I was naughty-naughty. I bolted from the booth smiling, only to find that a red flashing light was spinning wildly on the roof next to a maybe-fake security cam. Sheesh, talk about "FG are not low profile."

[GuyJean]

10 yen coins worked as quarters in the States (25 cents); I saved $1.30 every load of laundry!

GJ

[Snapped]

I remember doing some testing while in staying in London about 10 years ago, at a time when Oz still had 2 cent coins, which seemed to work as 50 pence coins in the laundromat. Unlike Taro, I didn't have the keys to reverse my testing and was forced to wash & dry my clothes for 8 cents (AUS) rather than about 2 pounds (about $5 AUS).

Outrageous, the things we do in our youth !

That's my

Eh? How did that happen? AUS 2 cent coins are much smaller than 50p coins. And 50p coins ten years ago where bigger than they are now.



When on a school trip to France 17 years ago, we found that the Space Invaders machine in the hotel accepted 10p coins in place of a 5 franc coin. A saving of about 40p a game.

When in Australia, I found that shopkeepers where often palming off New Zealand coins in my change.

[Big Booger]

we used to buy washers like 100 or more for a $1.00 or so...


Then we'd take solder and fill in the holes.. beat them down with a hammer...



Till they were smooth.

The use a grinder to grind them down to the size of a quarter..


Three of us could produce 40-55 in 30 minutes or so.. one soldering, one hammering, and one grinding.

Worked like a charm..