Change? Argentina Can't Believe In It.

Kudos to Roxie for bringing to our attention the plight of monedas in Buenos Aires.

Joe Keohane writes on Slate.com about this curious case of coin-hoarding, which has led to a metal money black market across Argentina. The situation is compounded by mobs and bus companies profiteering from the crisis, but the government and banks seem even more helpless in the hands of everyday Argentinians who would rather give up an entire 2-peso bill than attempt exact change, perpetuating fear and further encouraging the hoarders.

But, while a 2-peso note has almost no value, a 5-peso note is practically priceless. Keohane observes, "5s and 10s are harder to come by, because they're actually worth something. In many cases, they're more worth more than 20s, because you can buy things with them... I've found myself buying an expensive lunch, costing, say, 60 pesos, just to break a 100 into more useful constituent parts so I can buy something I need, like beer."

So, it's time to break the piggy bank, Argentina. In times of financial crisis, real patriots spend money. And they pay with exact change. Well, actually, here patriots just put it on a credit card, but I wouldn't go down that road if I were you.

Argentinians cautioned per Sec B-1 for not believing in change. Image from Slate.com.