The U.S. Mint made an unusual request last week. In a press release dated July 23, the bureau literally begged Americans to start putting coins back into circulation by spending or depositing them.
As you may have noticed, people just aren't making transactions with coinage like they used to. That's especially the case now in the age of the coronavirus. With many people sheltering-in-place, billions of dollars in everyday purchases are being made online that in normal times would have happened at the cash register.
This is creating a national coin shortage.
"Until coin circulation patterns return to normal, it may be more difficult for retailers and small businesses to accept cash payments," the Mint writes, adding that for millions of Americans, cash is the only form of payment. Without coins, retailers can't break bills.
https://silverseek.com/article/gold-and-silver-are-just-getting-started