[zeestephen]

The U.S. Treasury Department confirmed a couple weeks ago that there is a national shortage of coins and small bills.

Here in Seattle, most banks and businesses have no quarters.

Apparently, COVID-19 has caused a massive shift to online purchases and card payments.

The huge amount of cash that circulates through bars, restaurants, vending machines at work, churches, and retail stores has basically dried up because most of those establishments are closed or doing very limited business.

The coins and bills are still out there, but they are not being spent or deposited in banks.

[Red Badger]

It’s all in ashtrays in millions of cars across the nation.............and couches..............

[KarlInOhio]

The huge amount of cash that circulates through bars, restaurants, vending machines at work, churches, and retail stores has basically dried up because most of those establishments are closed or doing very limited business

That never made sense to me. If the bars and restaurants are closed and the vending machines aren't being used, I would expect the owners to deposit all the cash they have in a bank rather than keep it on site. Maybe some vending machines are trapped in closed businesses, but other than that I expect closed businesses would mean more cash in the banks.