All currencies issued by the people's Bank of China can be used for circulation, so precious metal commemorative coins can participate in circulation theoretically and have the function of circulation means. The commemorative coins of China have a specific theme. They are designed and manufactured by the people's Bank of China authorized by the state to designate a national mint and issued by the unified plan of the state bank. Commemorative coins are usually issued to commemorate major political and historical events, traditional culture and other things of special significance. The common commemorative currency is equal to the RMB of the same denomination circulating in the market and can circulate in the market at the same time. The function of commemorative coins is mainly to commemorate a major festival or a negotiable legal currency for politics, history, culture, outstanding people, places of interest, rare animals and plants, etc. collection is only a supplementary function, and specific themes and limited issue are the main characteristics of commemorative coins.
In November and December last year, Mr. Li, who lives in Tiantongyuan, Beijing, took out 90th anniversary coins to pay at Carrefour supermarket twice, but they were all rejected by cashiers. Mr. Li angrily took the supermarket to court, believing that the supermarket violated citizens' right to use legal currency, and demanded that the supermarket apologize in writing and pay 1000 yuan of mental damages.
There are two controversial points: first, can commemorative coins be paid as ordinary RMB? Second, is it wrong for supermarkets to reject commemorative coins?
In recent years, the collection and investment of commemorative coins have gradually entered the public's field of vision, from the commemorative coins of monkey year, aerospace, the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Anti Japanese War, the commemorative coins of chicken year and the 90th anniversary of the founding of the army to the commemorative coins of dog year just issued, which are popular every time. Every time a bank has just opened an appointment channel, it is almost in a state of second space.
The central bank's circulation is also increasing significantly. For example, in the previous years, the total circulation of commemorative coins for the year of the sheep was 80 million. In the next year, the circulation of commemorative coins for the year of the monkey increased to 500 million. This year, the circulation of commemorative coins for the year of the dog is 350 million.
Each of the commemorative coins has a limited number of exchanges. In order to exchange more coins, some people also let their families make an appointment in full. Each family can exchange 1200 coins. But is it really necessary to exchange so many? Financial analysts of rong360 do not agree with this behavior.
According to the regulations of the central bank, all the commemorative coins mentioned above really belong to the national legal currency, with a face value of 10 yuan, equivalent to 10 yuan, which can be circulated normally in the market.
According to the regulations of the people's Republic of China on the administration of RMB, ordinary commemorative currency belongs to legal currency, and any unit or individual shall not refuse to accept it and shall not obstruct the circulation of RMB. The 90th anniversary coin used by Mr. Li is indeed legal tender and can be circulated normally.
It sounds like it's right, but Carrefour supermarket has its own opinion.
First of all, there are a large number of commemorative coins issued by the state every year, and there are many kinds of commemorative coins issued. There are ordinary commemorative coins and precious metal commemorative coins here. Ordinary commemorative coins include ordinary metal commemorative coins and commemorative coins. Ordinary commemorative coins can be circulated. The face value marked on the commemorative coins is the same as that of RMB. The face value of precious metal commemorative coins is only a symbolic monetary symbol, which does not indicate its real value and cannot be circulated. In addition to the commemorative coins issued by the central bank, other financial institutions such as banks will also issue some commemorative coins or commemorative medals.
For example, a set of 10 commemorative coins issued in 2017 for the 90th anniversary of the founding of the armed forces, only one of which belongs to the legal currency that can be circulated, is difficult for ordinary people to identify or distinguish which belongs to the legal currency, and business institutions such as supermarkets and stores do not have the ability to identify commemorative coins.
In a word, both sides have their own reasons.
Commemorative currency is indeed the legal currency of the country and can also be circulated in the market. However, compared with RMB, it is too small for ordinary people and institutions to recognize this kind of currency.
In the case, Mr. Li went to the supermarket for the second time, knowing that the cashier would refuse, and had to pay with commemorative coins, and arranged other people to video for himself, obviously to get evidence and embarrass the supermarket. Now it's very convenient to pay by scanning the code offline. Even if you don't have cash or bank card, you don't have to use commemorative coins.
Most of the people exchange commemorative coins for their collection value. No one will really use them for consumption. If Mr. Li really wants to spend the commemorative coins, he can go to the bank to exchange them into equivalent RMB. The bank has the ability to distinguish the commemorative coins and will not reject them.
To sum up: Commemorative currency is a legal currency that can be circulated, but it doesn't mean that you can spend it as RMB everywhere. If you don't want it, it is suggested to go to the bank to exchange it into RMB.