I'll reconsider that and say a gov't agency should technically have to take the boxes of cents, but a private business can clearly refuse it ( in particular if in advance, like you want to purchase something for $100, and pay in coin).
Not worth the hassle here, as Police won't help you.
Legal tender in the United States
The
United States Coinage Act of 1965 states (in part):
<DL><DD>United States coins and currency (including Federal reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal reserve banks and national banks) are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues. Foreign gold or silver coins are not legal tender for debts. </DD></DL>
31 U.S.C. § 5103.
With respect to private transactions, this has been construed to apply only to "payment for debts when tendered to a creditor."<SUP class=reference id=_ref-2>
[3]</SUP>
With respect to accepting a contract offer with performance, tender requires both an
offer to perform with the
demonstrated ability to perform. If both requirements have been met, that is deemed acceptance by performance.
There being no other federal law prohibiting private businesses, persons or organizations from specifying other methods of payment they choose to accept or refuse, such entitites therefore are free to insist on payment by credit card, for example, or to refuse larger denomination banknotes. Some small stores in the United States have a policy of not accepting large notes, typically above $20, either at all or at certain times of day; this allows them to keep fairly small quantities of money in the register and deter
robbery, and also serves to limit one's risk of accepting
counterfeit notes.
The
United States Supreme Court held that paper money can be legal tender, in the
Legal Tender Cases, during the latter part of the nineteenth century.