MaDonald;s issues 5 MacCoins to celebrate 50th anniversary

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Big Mac, McDonald's is distributing a five-piece set of tokens that are both redeemable and no doubt collectible.

While Sputnik in a headline calls the coins "crypto to go" the coins are not made via a block chain and are not really cryptocurrencies. However they are called a limited-edition MacCoin metallic currency and will be distributed at 14,000 restaurants world wide. There will be 6.2 million pieces in total and they will be distributed in 50 countries. The promotion begins on August 2 and will continue until supplies run out. The redeemed coins will not be issued again.

The Buy-One-Get-One-Free deal

The promotion involves getting a single token for each Big Mac purchased. The token can be redeemed at participating McDonald's restaurants for another Big Mac or can simply be kept as a collector's item.

A McDonalds spokesperson said: "Introducing MacCoin, a global currency for a global icon — the Big Mac.In 50 years the Big Mac has travelled the globe, but kept what made it famous. The same Big Mac at McDonad's worldwide. So universal The Economist uses it to compare currencies."

Jim Delligatti invented the Big Mac back in 1967

Nick Delligatti a fourth-generation McDonald's owner-operator said: “When my great-grandfather Jim Delligatti invented the Big Mac at his grill in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, he just wanted to make his local customers happy. August 2 would have been my great-grandfather’s 100th birthday, and I believe he would be very proud knowing his humble sandwich has made such a lasting impression that people all around the world can enjoy it wherever they find a McDonald’s.”

The Big Mac is described as "two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun." It was first served by Delligatti in 1967 in his first McDonald's franchise on McKnight Road in Ross Township in suburban Pittsburgh. It went nationwide in the following year.

The five MacCoins

The token like many other similar tokens such as Canadian Tire Money has no cash value but is only redeemable for a Big Mac at participating restaurants. They are redeemable through the rest of 2018. Redemptions start August 3rd until December 31st.

Each of the five coins has a unique reverse design representing the five decades of the Big Mac representing art, music, and pop culture of particular eras. The common front celebrates Big Mac's 50th birthday.

The coin from the 1970s celebrates flower power while that from the 80s features pop art. Bold abstract shapes are featured on the 1990's design. The early 2,000s design focuses on technology.. The 2010s decade depicts the evolution of communication and has emojis.

There are seven languages featured in the designs: Arabic, English, Indonesian, Mandarin, Portuguese, French and Spanish. These languages are used in many of the McDonald restaurants participating in the promotion.

The coins were struck at Osborne Coinage Co., the oldest private mint in the US. It is located in Cincinatti. There was equal mintage of each token. Each participating restaurant will be given equal number of each token.. The promotion will end when the restaurants have exhausted their supply. The tokens can be used only once. McDonald's has not decided yet what to do with all the redeemed coins.

McDonald's has more than 36,000 locations around the world. Many are obviously not participating in the promotion it would seem.

Previously published in Digital Journal