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Reports on the decision of Cuba to end the circulation of the American dollar to reduce its vulnerability to United States sanctions.

The article offers the author's insights regarding the need to make cheaper money for the U.S. The author mentions the statement of Government Accountability Office during a House Subcommittee hearing which states that replacement of dollar bills with coins could save the government $4.4 billion for 30 years. He argues that it is reasonable to convert dollar bills into dollar coins.

THE United States has gone off the gold standard, but to the party designer David Monn, gold is still the standard by which glamour is measured. To spruce up a home for holiday entertaining, Mr. Monn has a particular fondness for it. ''I have rarely used silver,'' he said over coffee the other morning. ''I have always loved that bronze dore richness. Gold is warm. It is a color that makes you feel good.'' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WASHINGTON -- For decades -- through political upheaval and wars and wild bouts of deficits or inflation -- the debt of the United States has always been rated AAA, the gold standard of creditworthiness by which all nations are compared. That was true before President Obama published his budget on Monday, with its projections of huge American deficits over the next decade and beyond. Astoundingly or not, it was as true after those estimates were published. Of course, had it been the United States Widget Company projecting red ink as far as the eye could see, no one would lend it a dime. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Harold Wenning, 69, remembers what he called ''the one-for-five trick'' from his days running a news kiosk in Midtown Manhattan. ''They'll say it's a five and give you a one,'' he said. ''I had a guy say it was a 20 once and he gave me a one. I had a guy buy a roll of quarters from me and he gave me a dollar. That happens.'' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Presents the author's view on recent developments regarding the Chinese currency and its influence on the United States housing market. Discussion of the Chinese yuan and its value relative to the American dollar; View that China currently sells to the world almost everything the world wants and then buys United States Treasury securities; Review of how a change in the value of Chinese currency will effect interest rates in the U.S.; Comments from bond analyst Kathleen Shanley of Gimme Credit, regarding potential regional economic downturns.

Discusses how the devaluation of the dollar against the euro and other currencies has impacted the inflation of niche markets such as truffles and caviar. How U.S. importers of European goods are forced to either raise their prices or accept lower profits; Suggestion that good caviar and truffles cannot be found domestically; Rise in the general price index by 2.3 percent; Decline of the dollar against the Canadian dollar and the Japanese yen; Impact of the fear of competition on China and European exporters; Decrease in the margins of sale for the export of wines and cookies from places such as France and Italy; Increase in the price of preserved truffles due to the speed of currency futures.

Reports on the performance of gold in the United States as of May 8, 2004. Hong Kong late; American Eagle; Australia Kangaroo; Maple leaf; China Panda; U.S. silver coins; U.S. platinum eagle.

Focuses on how small companies in the United States are adjusting with the devaluation of the dollar. Comparison of the value of the dollar against the euro; Impact of the devaluation of the dollar on the prices of commodities; Benefits gained by small businesses exporting their goods; Exchange parity between the Chinese yuan and the dollar.

Reports that President Carlos Saul Menem of Argentina and his chief economic advisers have pledged to retain the Government's fixed exchange rate that maintains the value of the Argentine peso to the American dollar one to one. Concerns of Argentine economists and Wall Street analysts about the currency peg; Terms of the law that the currency stabilization is set by; Factors relating to President Menem's installation of the system in 1991.

Opinion. Discusses the workability of $1 coins as introduced by US President Bill Clinton, the second in its kind since 1971. Reactions of the Congress; Fate of Dwight D. Eisenhower dollar introduced in the year 1971; Paper dollars as preferred by Americans over coins.