Coin counting bank

From Saki TRading Co comes this coin counting bank, which automatically counts the coins inserted and also functions as a clock.
Drop 500 yen and 10 yen coins into the slot at the top of the unit, press the start button, and the total amount deposited will be calculated according to the coinage. The subtotal by coin and total amount is displayed on a liquid crystal display, saving time and the hassle of calculating yourself.

The bank can be used with an AC adaptor or batteries, allowing easy portability. Size: 155 mm (width) x 220 mm (height) x 150 mm (depth). Comes in blue & gray or silver & gray. Price: 3,480 yen. On sale Oct 16.

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Latest 15 of 18 Total Comments Show All

Weasel at 10:19 AM JST - 5th October

You mean the people who work at the banks are too lazy to do this as a service to their customers who make deposits?
Klein2 at 10:30 AM JST - 5th October

Franz. It is a fun game and shows you very quickly who can do math and who is just faking it. Easily 90% of the population cannot do simple addition and subtraction, and surprise!! they all work in jobs where they handle cash.

I used to be amused by baffled cashiers who would hand me back my money when I would give them 5138 for charges of 2588, now I just tell them to punch it in and see what they get. When you consider that the customer has to total and then minimize while jangling and shuffling coins, while the cashier has the benefit of a cash register, the bell curve's implications become horribly apparent.

Most such people complain that they do not have better jobs. It never occurs to them that they have their jobs because they are brainless zombies.

Scrote. Great idea. If you really want to teach them about the value of money, hit them with a whip while they do it! haha. Just kidding.
Yelnats at 12:20 PM JST - 5th October

I would give them 5138 for charges of 2588,

I would kick you out of my store
NeoJamal at 02:37 PM JST - 5th October

I'd be impressed if that thing can tell the yens from the wons
sf2k at 04:07 PM JST - 5th October

I would give them 5138 for charges of 2588,

isn't that a little harsh? what are you quizzing a tired cashier for? 5088 would have been at least partially obvious, and more likely something they'd see everyday.
salarymanblues at 04:43 PM JST - 5th October

WHAT A GREAT IDEA!!!

I am going to buy one and carry it around with me all the time, so I never have to count coins again.

My wallet just got 50x bigger - yee ha!

These guys are going to get so rich from this idea. And you will be able to spot them easily in the streets because they will have an army of 50 porters to carry around their personalised truck-sized one containing their new found wealth.
luilui at 07:02 PM JST - 5th October

salarymanblues: LOL!

don't they make them in pink? :-o
Kwaabish at 08:11 PM JST - 5th October

WIth the way this article is written, does one know if the machine can count 100 and 50 yen coins???
YAMADA90 at 08:46 PM JST - 5th October

This bank has no account for you~
Klein2 at 10:01 PM JST - 5th October

Yelnats, SF2K.... can't do it without a good dose of coffee, huh? LOL.

I agree that the example is not great, but once you get the 50 yen coins in there, it makes the algorithms more interesting. Instead of a clerk thinking "what? I can't do that!" They should be thinking, "what is with this guy and 50 yen coins?". Or.."He wants 50 yen coins? I'll give him 11 and see how he likes it."

I have done things like trying to get back 555 or 444, then there is coin minimization. I went a month trying to get as many 10 yen coins as possible, then spent the next month getting rid of them. I had a contest going with this Greek guy. He would try to get the register to spell words upside down. For instance, 14 upside down is HI, etc.

Anyway, clerks should be able to figure this stuff out. Tired? Man. They need to wake up.
sicklittlemonkey at 10:35 AM JST - 6th October

Klein2, that's pretty funny. (sf2k, 5138 is because he doesn't have a 50.)

I get annoyed when for some reason the register doesn't show the right amount if point cards are involved. Then I get confused in addition to the cashier.
TSRnow at 11:18 AM JST - 6th October

Uh, Klein2, are you a teenager?　:) Pretty funny, but go too far, and the clerks will stare at you as if you're the one who's not able to count.

I might add, try doing that in Spain, and they will give you a whole stack of coins because they don’t calculate, they just count. Give them 11 euro cents for 6 for example, instead of giving you a 5, they would say 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 giving you a 1 euro cent coin on each count.

Now about the article, I wonder who the target buyer is. A piggy bank collector?
biglittleman at 10:13 AM JST - 8th October

The Matsumoto Kiyoshi I frequent doesnt even let the cashier count or take out the cash. The cashier puts in the money like at a train station then gets the change is dispensed and hands it to me. I am thinking why do I need the cashier just let us do it?
bdiego at 07:31 AM JST - 10th October

Agreed, instead of giving 5138 for 2588 you should give 5038 for 2588 because he's going to give you that same 100 yen coin back.

I'm all for coin minimization, but not all coins are equal. Getting back 100, 50, and 10 yen coins is far preferable to getting back 1 and 5. I throw 1 yen coins away at the end of every trip to Japan. Practically worthless.
bdiego at 07:32 AM JST - 10th October

Sorry, 5088. Or, just give 5100. I'd say it saves time.