A couple of notes on Beninese coins: for some reason, everybody wants them. Given the choice between a handful of coins and a couple of bills, I’m pretty sure that most marché mamas would choose the change.
This is the exact opposite of how I work with American money: I avoid coins like the plague (I throw them into a big coffee can the second I can), and I really only care about quarters.
Here, though, there are people who would rather refuse my business than give me change for a mille bill. This has happened multiple times, most frequently with zem drivers. I now actively search out places that will give me metal for my paper, and I hoard coins like it’s my job.
And another fun point: sometimes the change they give you is fake… why in the world would someone make fake 50 franc pieces? That’s like a dime. If I was investing my time and resources, I’d be pounding out 10 mille bills at least, if not 50 milles. Call me crazy.
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