What to do with foreign coins?

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Started 1 year ago by kllycat
Latest reply from whattotrash
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kllycat
Member

Hi All,

I briefly touched upon this question in the ATAD thread without asking for answers, but as I still haven't figured out what to do, I figured it's time to ask for help!

I traveled around Europe for three months in 2000 on a sort of 'Gap year/ Junior year abroad' thing (I'm American). I ended up with a few handfuls of foreign currency, most of which isn't used anymore, as the majority of countries now use the euro. I was keeping the coins in a dish, along with some rocks and shells picked up along the way, but I've cleaned out the dish (thus the ATAD post) and don't want to keep the coins anymore. (As a side note, I've also cleaned out a lot of other clutter from that trip-- even though I thought I was so good about not collecting stuff at the time!)

For the moment they're in a bag, in a (recently cleaned out drawer), and not overwhelming in size or quantity but I know they're there and it's bugging me.

Any ideas on what to do? I thought about saving them for my next trip abroad and then tossing them into one of those donation bins in the airport, but that will be in about 3 months. Is there a market for this kind of thing on ebay?

Kelly

Posted 1 year ago #
maryann
Member

I keep all my foreign coins in a glass jar on my kitchen shelf. Along with assorted wierd coins that I come across, like old bridge & subway tokens, peep show tokens, slugs, old wheat pennies & silver dimes.

It doesn't take up much space. And I have to say that I have always loved looking through this collection. Now that I have kids it's even more fun for them...

Posted 1 year ago #
Rosa
Member

I took mine to my kid's daycare when they were doing a unit on currency.

Before that, i got rid of most of the jar by offering it to friends/coworkers who were on their way to various countries - it's nice to land with some pocket change and a gift of 3-5 pounds or marks (or 500-800 yen) is not large, especially if I couldn't spend it anyway.

Posted 1 year ago #
Rozzie
Member

If you know any teachers, they might appreciate them for classroom use. I'm thinking history and geography teachers, especially. Grade school teachers might be able to use them, too, since they do have history/geography/cultural units.

Or post them on Craigslist as a giveaway...

Posted 1 year ago #
charmed2482
Member

if you have a photo album from your trip you could put them in there with the pictures. Or make some art out of them if you like to do that kind of stuff.

Posted 1 year ago #
kllycat
Member

Teachers are a great idea! Now that Europe has moved onto the Euro, there are few differences in country currencies any more, so the older coins may be interesting for history lessons.

I did look on ebay, and there are a lot of people who do sell what look to be handfuls of coins for low amounts. I may look into that as well.

Thanks for the ideas everyone!
Kelly

Posted 1 year ago #
Periwinkle
Member

Depending on whether or not they're current coins, you might be able to give them to charity. At the charity shop where I volunteer, we collect foreign coins and send them off to head office, who cash them in.

Posted 1 year ago #
Rozzie
Member

Another option would be to drop any that are current into a ziploc bag and tuck it into the outside pocket of your suitcase. Any leftover current coins would be there ready for your next trip. For most Americans, this will be most useful for British currency, Euros, Pesos, and Canadian money. If you have currency from places you will probably never visit again then it may be a less useful idea.

I have all of our foreign coins in a pretty wooden bowl w/ lid. I bought this bowl on a vacation so it works out nicely.

Posted 1 year ago #
lottielot
Member

our bank collects foreign coins for charity, but it's a UK bank so they might not do this elsewhere.

Posted 1 year ago #
bandicoot
Member

one of our airlines (jetstar) accepts all currencies small change and puts it into a starkids thing they run in alliance with world vision.
they accept donations on the plane (an envelope in the seat pocket) or online. perhaps you could post it to them?
if you posted it to me, i'd make sure they physically got it.....i am always on a jetstar flight sooner or later.

http://www.worldvision.com.au/ourwork/solutions/JetstarStarkids.aspx

Posted 1 year ago #
recycler
Member

I try to get rid of all excess coins when I leave the foreign country (drop them in the donation box at the airport). Even though I may be going back sometime, I usually will forget to bring the coins (now even the Euros). If it's old coins of a currency no longer in use, or of little value, I guess I would just throw them in the metal recycling bin...

Posted 1 year ago #
jbeany
Member

Drill holes and make a bracelet? Reuse, renew....

Posted 1 year ago #
BBChapman
Member

Slightly off topic: you can make great bookmarks by laminating foreign paper currency.

Posted 1 year ago #
pkilmain
Member

I keep Canadian currency as we go at least once a year. Any others I give to kids, and along jbeany's suggetion, I have one I esp like on my keychain.

Posted 1 year ago #
djk
Member

BBChapman, I LOVE that idea! Now that some of our neighbouring countries are going to the Euro, I have interesting bills I didn't know what to do with.

Also digging the idea of a charm bracelet with the coins, but wouldn't have the faintest clue about how to drill the holes. I consider myself handy if I can get a coffee cup from the cupboard without dropping it.

Posted 1 year ago #
Anita
Member

I have a small misc. collection of foreign coins that's just sitting in a jar. Fun to look at once in a while but of no real utility.

Also: I have a pair of earrings made out of 1 peseta coins. I couldn't make them myself, but they are neat. So... maybe look into local artisans who use them to make similar things?

Posted 1 year ago #
chacha1
Member

If you don't have a LOT of coins, having a piece of jewelry made might be the perfect solution. Bigger coins can be set into prefabricated bezels (www.firemountaingems.com), smaller ones can be drilled with a titanium or diamond bit (plz clamp to work surface first!), the really thin ones that almost feel like plastic can be punched with a manual drill press (also at FMG).

I've used foreign stamps on decorated matboard for a collage, currency would work for that as well - as for example if you have a particularly evocative photograph from a trip and want to mount it, use the currency or stamps as part of the framing treatment.

Posted 1 year ago #
kllycat
Member

I love the bookmpark idea! Or you could turn paper currency into a collage...

I've separated out all the 'real' money, ie UK & US that I will use on one of our trips coming up soon. The UK totals up to more than £6- the US to a little less than a dollar, how's that for currency value rates?

Everything else is 'expired', ie no longer in circulation. As it's only a small plastic bag's worth, I may just hang onto it until I get to an international donation bin, or maybe a museum like the British museum- I'm sure they have the resources for dealing with it!

Posted 1 year ago #
Julia
Member

One of our family "heirlooms" is a simple frame with a fabric backround, holding an assortment of foreign currency my uncle collected. When he died, another uncle arranged them in the frame in a simple display. If you have small flat collectibles from your trips - postcards, receipts, miniature flags, whatever - they could go in as well.

Wish I could tell you how he mounted the coins; whether he glued them or pressed them into a foam background I really can't say.

Posted 1 year ago #
camellia tree
Member

I have a bunch of foreign coins and some currency (with extremely low value, not enough to actually trade it in for US$) from European countries before the switch to the Euro. I had put it in a scrapbook, but I'm thinking I may just take those pages out and take them to the Goodwill. Maybe someone will want them for things mentioned previously here (teaching, for their own scrapbook, ???). Any thoughts on this? Is this stuff really just junk? I don't want to take stuff to the Goodwill that they will then just have to throw away.

Posted 1 year ago #

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