MADURAI: Sale of fifty paise chocolates in this city has picked up manifold not because of people's sudden love for it, but to tide over acute shortage of 50 paise coins.

The chocolates are given in some government and private buses, canteens, hotels, drug stores and parking places in place of coins, a wholesale dealer of confectioneries told media.

Some scrap dealers attribute this shortage to mass purchase of coins by blade manufacturers in Mumbai for making high-quality razor blades.

The dealers said that they were paying two rupee for one rupee coin and one rupee for a 50 paise coin. The companies in turn would pay more margin to us, they said.

"Though the business was at a peak till a month ago there was shortage of coins at present", said Nazeer and Selvam, dealers in scrap iron business.

They said they had a deal with employees who were manning the vehicle parking areas and some bus conductors to supply coins. But they were also problem of procuring coins now.

"We sell two bottles of chocolate instead of one bottle", said Krishnamurthy a leading agent of branded chocolates.

Even in hospital canteens, where the coffee or tea cost Rs 3.50, chocolates were given for 50 paise balance, he said.

"A conductor or a parking site employee would earn about Rs.15 if he is able to use a bottle of chocolates for the purpose of giving the change," said a transport official.

However, the chocolates were not given in all the buses as in rural areas there was no coin shortage. "In some city buses they(chocolates) are given without our authorization," a city transport corporation official told media.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/N...how/2574423.cms

Chocolate as currency

Sure works for me

I wonder if this will lead to certain years ending up with low surviving mintages? Gonna have to hang on to my Indian coins.

Wow, it's "Viva Pinata" come true.

In Italy back in the 70's small change was sometimes given in little pieces of candy for lack of coins.

well, it seems that it's a fashion these days. I Romania, too, for small change the seller (usually in small shops) gives you a candy or a chewing gum. I don't know if it's really a lack of coins but also may be a cheap trick to earn some more. )

Good thing their government is even allowing this to happen (so far) and not going after them for counterfeiting If passing chocolate coins were done here in the States, I'd be rich off of a bunch of these: