Don't pick up foreign coins

[joggerjayne]

I'm sure there used to be bins at airports for unwanted foreign coins ... for charities.

When you're in a bar or a shop, abroad, and you get the bill, do you sort through all your small coins? No, precisely. Anything smaller than One Euro is left in the bottom of your pocket (or the kitty purse). So, they all come home with you.

And then?

The banks won't take them. You can't spend them (unless you live in Ireland).

So, when you get change, anything smaller than One Euro, I just leave on the counter.

But where are those charity bins, or Blue Peter collections, or whatever?

[rowanwitch]

if you put them in charity boxes the charities will get enough over the course of a few months to make it worth changing as the big charities often have special arrangements with banks...

[237SJ]

There`s one on the Travelex currency exchange desk at Gatwick. Some airlines have little envelopes on board for spare change. One major airline recently changed charities and in the first month (January) they made £45,000 in spare change from passengers.

[milly143]

I'm going to Ireland soon JJ. I'll happily make use of the spare Euros you have!

[joggerjayne]

Sorry, milly ... Ileft them all on bar counters.

I have a Euro account, but the bank still won't let me pay coins into it.

[ChuckFickens]

At least with the euro there is a fairly good chance of going elsewhere you can use them in future. unlike in the past when you ended up with a pocket full of Maltese lira or similar!

[joggerjayne]

Ya, but when you go away again, you might take all your whole Euros. You're not going to take your dopey pile of 2 cent and 5 cent coins.

[Old_Geezer]

Ah, a keepsake from your holiday.
I have a few notes/coins from when the Eurozone adopted a 'one size fits no one' policy.

[joggerjayne]

Maybe just chuck them into the nearest fountain, and let someone else sort them out.

[coccinelle]

In France most shops have boxes on the counters for 'Pièces Jaunes' this money goes to help children in hospital so you could always pop your coins in them.

[joggerjayne]

I will if I see one from now on, coccinelle.

[ethandron]

when in france, i throw all the copper coins in a small pot and periodically use it for buying the morning bread. here in england, again i throw all copper coins in a pot and pay it into the bank for 'children in need'.

[tigwig]

On some flights Ive been on the cabin crew collect them all at the end for charity.