So that is where dollar coins are circulated, as they are rarely seen in the United States where they are minted because paper dollar bills are more popular and widely used…
So That Is Where Dollar Coins Are Circulated.
…and the place in question is Ecuador, where the United States dollar is the official currency of that country — or, at least, it is very widely circulated. Ask for change of a bank note, and you will be certain to receive dollars in the form of coins as change.
Worse is that I knew about the existence of dollar coins that featured Susan B. Anthony and Sacagawea — but I had no idea that an entire series of presidents of the United States were also featured on dollar coins.
As one example, William Henry Harrison is featured on one of the dollar coins.
The half dollar on which John Fitzgerald Kennedy is portrayed was also regularly circulated in Ecuador.
Come to think of it, I do not believe I saw a single dollar bill used in Ecuador.
Final Boarding Call
None of the portraits that are featured on any of the dollar coins are anywhere near flattering. Surely a better job of portraying notable people in the history of the United States could have been done.
Receiving, holding, and spending dollar coins in a foreign country just seemed so…weird — almost as if the dollar coins themselves were foreign currency.
I wonder which other countries circulate the dollar coin of the United States on a regular basis…
…but in the meantime: could you imagine catching someone off guard when using dollar coins in the United States?
All photographs ©2025 by Brian Cohen.
