Math Problem of the Week

When stores are very busy, lines of customers at the cash registers get very long. One way cashiers can work quickly is by using the minimum number of coins possible when giving change to a customer. If you had to give a customer 53 cents in change, how many different coin combinations can you find to give this amount of change? What is the minimum number of coins you can use? The maximum number? If you purchased an item that costs $2.99 plus 6% tax and paid with a $20.00 bill, what would be the minimum number of coins the cashier could give you as change?