PORTLAND, Ore. -- In a push to go green, the U.S. mint is trying to get people to use gold dollars.

Representatives from the U.S. mint were at Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland on Wednesday encouraging people to get acquainted with the gold dollar coin.

People who visited the Real Change Exchange truck played games and exchanged some of their paper money for coins.

"(They're) probably a lot easier, they don't bend and fold and pop back out at you, so that'd be good," said Betty Bigelow who received some of the new coins.

"I think I like the paper better than the coins, well I mean you can store it better, for me," said Kiki Holt.

Portland was one of four cities picked to test-drive the new 100-percent recycled dollar coin.

The mint is trying to switch to more coin usage because they last for about 30 years. Paper money has a usage life of less than one year.

Officials said that by switching to the coins the government could save billions of dollars.