What's the most physical cash you've ever had in your possession? Not someone else's cash, your cash?

[Golden Mean]

$6250 in 1999 when I sold my 91' MR2 Turbo.

 

[Texas Proud]

Interesting question... I am thinking about $4 to $5K...

Not in your question was other peoples cash... I have held $1 million in cash before... it is a lot larger and heavier than you might think...

 

[AudiDudi]

Here’s information on the $1,000 bill:

United States one-thousand-dollar bill - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

The largest bill minted I think was $10,000 with Salmon P Chase on it.

With the way inflation is and how thick 50 $100s are or 100 $50s are, and that’s just $5000, it’s nothing short of ABSURD that you cannot go to the bank and obtain, in this day and age, a bill that is printed that is at least $100,000, perhaps even a million dollar bill is warranted. Supposedly, it’s to make it difficult for drug dealers to interact and my guess is the lack of a bill greater that $100 being readily available has curtailed a sum total of ZERO drug deals over the years.

Actually, there was a $100,000 bill with Woodrow Wilson on it.

 

[AudiDudi]

I've had over $10k several times. One time we were moving (late 90's) and needed to close out an account with a regional - about $16k in it. I asked for a cashiers check and they wanted like $5 for it. I said ok, I'll take it in cash. They were scrambling around trying to get the cash together when the manager walked over and wanted to know why I wanted so much cash. I said I didn't want to pay for a cashiers check. The manager calmly walked over to the clerks and said "for God's sake, give him a cashiers check and don't charge him!

 

[MrBojangles]

Actually, there was a $100,000 bill with Woodrow Wilson on it.

Yes, but that was between banks and not available for general circulation.

 

[MrBojangles]

Interesting question... I am thinking about $4 to $5K...

Not in your question was other peoples cash... I have held $1 million in cash before... it is a lot larger and heavier than you might think...

And completely impractical. There’s no reason in this day and age there aren’t bills up to at least a million available in circulation. Open up your wallet, a nice thin bill, could be a dollar, or $1 million.

Plus, how exciting would it be to walk into the local WaWa to pay for gas and find a $1 million bill laying on the ground? I can’t even relate to that sort of coolness factor!

 

[SnowballCamper]

I recently sold a camper, and asked for a bank check. The buyer showed up with cash. You can't say no to cash, so I took all 20k of it. I was more comfortable thinking the money was real than I would have been with a check. I had DD help count it, and compare her paycheck to how much it was.
Related question, what's the biggest personal check you've ever written? up around 160k for one of the payments on the house build.

 

[Golden Mean]

And completely impractical. There’s no reason in this day and age there aren’t bills up to at least a million available in circulation. Open up your wallet, a nice thin bill, could be a dollar, or $1 million.

Plus, how exciting would it be to walk into the local WaWa to pay for gas and find a $1 million bill laying on the ground? I can’t even relate to that sort of coolness factor!

My understanding is that bills of $1000 and over were slowly phased out, starting in the 80s, to combat elicit activities (drug dealing, etc).

 

[pacergal]

I don't recall ever having more than $1000-$1500 in cash/bills.

 

[statsman]

I had to think about this. Probably less than $2,000. Don't get me wrong, I still like having cash for some things. But I generally didn't have much before it ended up in the bank.

Edit: I paid a bit more than $2,000 in cash for the diamond in DW's wedding ring (from a jeweler who was a family friend - we designed our own rings and melted down the metals for the bands). The diamond was worth 3X on the retail market. Can't imagine what it is worth now.

 

[MrBojangles]

My understanding is that bills of $1000 and over were slowly phased out, starting in the 80s, to combat elicit activities (drug dealing, etc).

And how did that work? We didn’t exactly turn into a drug free state.

I would bet these were phased out much earlier than the 1980s.

Rent these days is easily over $1,000 a month, probably closer to $2k. Easier just to slip the landlord two slender $1000 bills.

 

[AudiDudi]

And how did that work? We didn’t exactly turn into a drug free state.

I would bet these were phased out much earlier than the 1980s.

Rent these days is easily over $1,000 a month, probably closer to $2k. Easier just to slip the landlord two slender $1000 bills.

United States one-thousand-dollar bill - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[MrBojangles]

United States one-thousand-dollar bill - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Okay, they’ve been pulling them from circulation since 1969. With 56 years of inflation since then, it’s time to bring it back. How do there feel about this?

 

[AudiDudi]

Okay, they’ve been pulling them from circulation since 1969. With 56 years of inflation since then, it’s time to bring it back. How do there feel about this?

It would greatly lessen the size of the stack of my cash stash

 

[GrayHare]

Monte Hall seemed to always have plenty of $500s and $1000s handy. To reach the equivalent buying power of 1969's $100 Benjamin, one needs about $1000 today.

 

[MarieIG]

Probably about 16k.

I don't do that anymore.

 

[OldShooter]

Travelled international with $9k cash last winter. Did the proper thing and reported it on the customs forms even though it was under the $10k limit. Opened a local bank account a few days later with that cash and it funded a couple months of fun in Central America.

Why is it "the proper thing" to report cash where a report is not required?

 

[OldShooter]

When we travel internationally we often work with small in-country travel companies. Normally we wire a deposit but I will ask if there is a discount for paying the balance in cash. Usually that is welcomed.

I don't remember specifics but I think I've carried up to about $20K in cash, paying the company as quickly as possible after arrival.

One thing I have found multiple places is a requirement for $100 bills in perfect condition. Usually I have to help the bank teller go through his/her stack to pick out the perfect ones. One time I had a bill with a 1/4" fold on one corner and it was refused.

 

[skyking1]

I had learned to fly in the mid 80's. One of my fellow students and I were eyeballing this dead sexy Cessna 310 that neither of us could swing on our own. Right then and there the most unexpected and unusual partnerships was formed.
The three selling partners wanted cash. I brought 8K and Trini brought 8K.

 

[Sunset]

When we travel internationally we often work with small in-country travel companies. Normally we wire a deposit but I will ask if there is a discount for paying the balance in cash. Usually that is welcomed.

I don't remember specifics but I think I've carried up to about $20K in cash, paying the company as quickly as possible after arrival.

One thing I have found multiple places is a requirement for $100 bills in perfect condition. Usually I have to help the bank teller go through his/her stack to pick out the perfect ones. One time I had a bill with a 1/4" fold on one corner and it was refused.

Which is really funny, as counterfeit bills new made are crisp and clean since they are brand new.

 

[Golden Mean]

Okay, they’ve been pulling them from circulation since 1969. With 56 years of inflation since then, it’s time to bring it back. How do there feel about this?

Respectfully, I think you are on the cusp of "old man shouts clouds".

 

[Pluperfect]

$70,000.

I got it from my local bank to deposit into an account at Bank of America. It had to get deposited that day for an upcoming transfer.

My bank told me to give them a couple days notice so they would have it on hand. The teller handed it to me, no questions asked.

I carried it in the big pockets of my coat and went into the BoA branch and set it on the counter and said I wanted to deposit it. They said they needed to see my social security card. I said I didn't have one but I know the number. They said it had to be the card. I said I haven't had a card it since I was a baby. They didn't care. I asked to see a supervisor and was told, "You'll get the same answer" and indeed I did.

So I had no choice but to put the bundles back into my pockets and walk back to my car. You'd think the least they could do would be to have a security guard walk with me, but nope.

I went home and gathered every piece of paper I could think of with my social security number on it--income tax returns, W-2s, school transcripts.

Took all of it to the next closest BoA and when I got to the counter I pleaded, "I need to deposit $70,000 in cash. I know my social security number but don't have the actual card. But I do have all of this other stuff with my social security number on it." The lady said, "Oh, if you know the number we don't need the card."

At a different bank, I used to get $1,000 in cash, in $20 bills, to keep in a drawer and pull from over several months. One time I went through the drive-through and got the money and tossed it on the passenger seat. A little later, I thought, "That didn't feel right." So when I got to work I checked and they'd given me double what I'd asked for.

About an hour later there was a message on my answering machine asking me if I could please bring the extra money back. I took it inside, and showed the teller the two packets, saying I had been given two instead of one, and giving her one of them. The thanks I got? She insisted on counting it.

 

[gamboolman]

We keep ~$50K ish... in the Gun Safe.
I know, I know....
We use Cash a good bit.

Why, well living along the Gulf Coast and dealing with Hurricanes and Storms all of our lives except for when we was living in Africa for near the last 20 year before retirement. I can tell you that Hundo's will get you out of bind in places in the world that no one goes to vacation at.
Taking care of folks pays off in all kinds of ways.
Kind of changes your perspective. At least it did mine and ms gamboolgals. And it carried over to home and retirement.
We enjoy taking care of folks for good service, meals, etc.

And the Poker Games is Cash... so there's that....

 

[JoeWras]

$500 at home

€600 while traveling

 

[dixonge]

It was around 8-10K in cash. Dude bought a used car from me, grabbed a plastic bag of cash and handed it to me. Seemed slightly shady, but we met at a bank for the transaction so we walked in and had them convert it into a cashier's check. That way they counted it for me. We deposited the check and all was good. So it wasn't in my possession for more than 15 minutes...