U.S. warns about Canadian spy coins

[Ping898]

This to me is bizzare
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070111/ap_on_hi_te/spy_coins
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/01/10/rfid-defence.html

In a U.S. government warning high on the creepiness scale, the Defense Department cautioned its American contractors over what it described as a new espionage threat: Canadian coins with tiny radio frequency transmitters hidden inside.
The government said the mysterious coins were found planted on U.S. contractors with classified security clearances on at least three separate occasions between October 2005 and January 2006 as the contractors traveled through Canada.
Intelligence and technology experts said such transmitters, if they exist, could be used to surreptitiously track the movements of people carrying the spy coins.

 

[terryl965]

All I know is I need one a spy coin how cool would that be.

 

[CoryKS]

Spy coin or not, every Michigander knows you should never take Canadian coins. The vending machines won't accept them.

 

[Steel Tiger]

Oh America, you get stranger to me everyday!

 

[Solidman82]

Canadian vending machines will take our coins. They must be more advanced.

 

[MA-Caver]

Oh America, you get stranger to me everyday!

Well, we do our best

 

[Rich Parsons]

Spy coin or not, every Michigander knows you should never take Canadian coins. The vending machines won't accept them.

Yes this is very true. Michigan is one of a couple of states (* And I say Couple as parts of NY may also *) accept Canadian Coins at face value. Given the current exchange rate this is not as much of an issue as it used to be.

Canadian vending machines will take our coins. They must be more advanced.

Yes they are. Yes they are.

 

[bydand]

Oh America, you get stranger to me everyday!

Everyday I think we are turning into a nation of drool monkeys myself. Nothing like watching the nightly news and realizing there is an amazing number of window-lickers out there.

Canadian spy coins, good Lord what will they come up with next? And a Twoonie at that, sure they look better than our coins, but who wants to deal with the exchange rate for a pack of gum and a drink? I get rid of the blessed things as soon as I get back over the border so I don't have to deal with them. Guess I have to start checking them while I'm over there, who knows, my trips to Greco Pizza and Canadian Tire may be the things novels are written about.

 

[Cryozombie]

Canadian vending machines will take our coins. They must be more advanced.

I don't think it has to do with advanced, so much as we dont want fake money. Its still made from Bark and Rocks up there right?

But Seriously, I have a plethora of coin op devices in my house, A Vending machine in my kitchen, a couple Japanese Pachislo Slot Machines, a Jukebox, and a Condom dispenser in my bathroom... and the way the coin mechs work, Id actually venture to say that the ones that reject canadian coins are probably MORE advanced in their detection schemes than the ones that take both, since they can tell the difference.

But then again... all it takes to convert a Japanese Pachislo to a real money slot machine is a Zip tie... so what do I know?

 

[Cryozombie]

Oh America, you get stranger to me everyday!

US???? We arent hiding Spy gear in our money...

Oh, wait, you said America, so you must mean, the Continent... so you DO mean Canada...

 

[Steel Tiger]

Everyday I think we are turning into a nation of drool monkeys myself. Nothing like watching the nightly news and realizing there is an amazing number of window-lickers out there.

Canadian spy coins, good Lord what will they come up with next? And a Twoonie at that, sure they look better than our coins, but who wants to deal with the exchange rate for a pack of gum and a drink? I get rid of the blessed things as soon as I get back over the border so I don't have to deal with them. Guess I have to start checking them while I'm over there, who knows, my trips to Greco Pizza and Canadian Tire may be the things novels are written about.

Now there's the great thing about living in the Commonwealth (British that is). Coins from all over the place are in circulation in Australia, especially the Pacific, like New Zealand and Fiji. They may have different facings but they are all the same size and colour and work anywhere. The denominations are the same so nobody really cares. Ten cents is ten cents.

 

[CoryKS]

Yes this is very true. Michigan is one of a couple of states (* And I say Couple as parts of NY may also *) accept Canadian Coins at face value. Given the current exchange rate this is not as much of an issue as it used to be.

I used to work in a Stop-n-Go, and there was always a handful of Canadian coins mixed in with the rest. The only person who ever had a problem with it was a Canadian guy who came in every day for a 40 oz. can of beer. He would pick through his change and make sure I didn't hand him any Canadians. Liked to rant about the price of cigarettes in Canada too, though I'm sure that we've bridge the gap in that respect.

 

[CoryKS]

Canadian vending machines will take our coins. They must be more advanced.

Only if they also take US coins. Otherwise, they're not advanced... they're just differently challenged.

 

[bydand]

I used to work in a Stop-n-Go, and there was always a handful of Canadian coins mixed in with the rest. The only person who ever had a problem with it was a Canadian guy who came in every day for a 40 oz. can of beer. He would pick through his change and make sure I didn't hand him any Canadians. Liked to rant about the price of cigarettes in Canada too, though I'm sure that we've bridge the gap in that respect.

Did you charge the going exchange rate for coins? If I'm in an area that doesn't charge the difference of coinage I don't have a problem with it either (won't take Loonies or Twoonies at all over here personally), but here they will bag you for the exchange on a nickle (No joke either.) I always check my change for Canadian coins. As for cigarette prices, I think they are still way more expensive up across than we are down here. Plus the taxes on everything you buy is enough to scare you away.

 

[CoryKS]

Did you charge the going exchange rate for coins? If I'm in an area that doesn't charge the difference of coinage I don't have a problem with it either (won't take Loonies or Twoonies at all over here personally), but here they will bag you for the exchange on a nickle (No joke either.) I always check my change for Canadian coins. As for cigarette prices, I think they are still way more expensive up across than we are down here. Plus the taxes on everything you buy is enough to scare you away.

Strictly face value. We figured any maple leaf that came in would end up across the street at Meijers eventually anyway. It's not like we were taking dollars or anything. Pennies, nickels, dimes. Not sure I've ever seen anything higher. The coins looked similar enough that if you didn't look you didn't know you had one... until the vending machine rejected it.

 

[Blotan Hunka]

Americas strange?

Sounds like its the Canadians planting coins not us.

We probably made them though.

 

[Flatlander]

WASHINGTON — Reversing itself, the Defence Department says an espionage report it produced that warned about Canadian coins with tiny radio frequency transmitters was not true. The Defence Security Service said it never could substantiate its own published claims about the mysterious coins. It has begun an internal review to determine how the false information was included in a 29-page report about espionage concerns.

Full Story

 

[BlackCatBonz]

wow.......US intelligence hard at work....lol

 

[bluemtn]

Canadian vending machines will take our coins. They must be more advanced.

Well, obviously Canada is more advanced. Carol told me about a certain candy bar that she gets, and I have to go to some specialty store to find any- unless I travel god only knows how far over the border. I demand that you hand the candy bars over!

As for the original post- It had me scratching my head for a minute. Not meaning anything bad, but I'm just having a hard time picturing that one. Besides, there's a few times I might see Canadian money, but not very often. I guess I'd see more if I were closer...

 

[Blotan Hunka]

"there are no such coins...."
"you can go about your business...."
"these are not the coins you seek...."