According to reports, Mr. Lu was denied permission to exchange over 140 pounds of 1 cent coins totaling more than 2000 yuan at Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank recently. Previously, Mr. Lu had exchanged this type of coin with more than ten banks, and most institutions accepted it normally, except for Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank which refused multiple times. On July 8th, Mr. Lu made the latest statement, stating that the bank agreed to count and "currently has 1000 coins, informing me that only 10 yuan can be credited". According to previous media reports, the bank directly reported to the police on the grounds of "suspicious coin source". Not to mention the places where bank professionals gather, it is not difficult to identify whether each coin is reliable. Even after the police arrived to verify, they confirmed that the coins were not suspected of being counterfeit and had a legitimate source. After ruling out the suspicion of money laundering, the bank still used excuses such as "system malfunction" and "head office approval" to refuse to exchange coins for Mr. Lu. In fact, the "caution" of banks is not difficult to understand. It's just a fear of trouble and a disdain for small amounts and large workloads. But this clearly deviates from the purpose of financial services. Mr. Lu is engaged in the tobacco and alcohol gift recycling business and claims that the coins come from one of his clients, who selected them from the ash of a household waste incineration plant. These coins, recovered from waste and ashes, are dark and not very shiny, and the amount is not large. When it comes to handling them by bank staff, it seems that they are "laborious and unrewarding". However, receiving and exchanging deposits is a normal banking business, how can one be lazy and refuse at will? According to media reports, in 2023, a noodle stall owner in Qufu, Shandong, came to the Wangzhuang branch of Qufu Rural Commercial Bank with a bag of 10 cent coins to inquire if they could be exchanged. The bank staff immediately took over and after one hour of hard work, a total of 900 10 cent coins were counted, totaling 90 yuan. The difference between the same reasons and different attitudes lies in the service awareness of banks. Moreover, the bank's actions are also suspected of being illegal. Article 16 of the Law of the People's Republic of China on the People's Bank of China stipulates: "The legal tender of the People's Republic of China is RMB. No unit or individual may refuse to pay all public and private debts in the People's Republic of China with RMB." As a financial institution engaged in monetary business, banks have no right to refuse to accept the legally circulated RMB. Although the quantity of 140 pound coins is huge, banks should accept them as long as they are genuine and not severely soiled to the point where they are not suitable for circulation. Even if it reaches the level that is not suitable for circulation, Article 3 of the Measures of the People's Bank of China on the Exchange of Damaged and Defaced Renminbi also stipulates that all financial institutions handling RMB deposit and withdrawal business shall exchange the damaged and defiled Renminbi for the public free of charge and shall not refuse to exchange it; Financial institutions should exchange the full amount of RMB at its original face value to holders who are able to distinguish the denomination and have more than three-quarters (including three-quarters) of the remaining face value, and whose patterns and text can be connected in their original form as damaged or soiled RMB. Although the involved bank reluctantly started counting, they also came up with a "little moth" of "shrinking redemption", with only 10 yuan exchanged for 1000 1 cent coins, which also raises suspicion of violating regulations. In fact, the People's Bank of China has repeatedly issued documents emphasizing that banking financial institutions should do a good job in cash receipt and payment services and should not reject cash (including coins) for any reason. For example, requiring banks to equip necessary coin counting equipment. Regardless of the management model adopted by each bank, they cannot arbitrarily transfer operating costs to customers, let alone override national laws and regulations. 140 pounds of blackened coins rejected by the bank, who will protect the rights of cash users? The latest news shows that the parties involved have submitted a complaint to 12363 and stated that they will further protect their rights through legal means. We hope that this matter can be handled properly and become an opportunity for banks to improve service quality, optimize business processes, and improve service systems, rather than being continued as a "bad example". (New Society)