I was clearing out the space under my bed last week and found several coins which I forgot that I had, they were nothing of value just some random foreign and outdated UK pieces and then I thought that this is essentially free money and that I could add them to my collection. Here in the UK we have several commemorative coins in circulation and many overseas territory coins sneak into our loose change this is where I have sourced many items in my collection. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get free coins and banknotes?
When I was young and reckless youth, I traveled around Europe by rail and occasional hitch hiking. I stayed at the cheapest hotels and hostels. I always searched under the seat cushions of easy chairs and sofas of any such room I had, and invariably found small change, - as well as food fragments and general trash.
One time I was waiting in Brussels for my flight home. This was around 1981 or 82. I had paid about the last of my cash for a room in a very dingy hotel near the Gare du midi. I found one of these in the sofa. I didnt know what it was. Next day at the airport, I fell in to conversation with an American just arrived, waiting for a connection. He told me he wanted to go to Africa, by way of Spain. I gave him my African coin, saying he might be able to convert it. He was so happy he bought me breakfast and a bloody mary. Best 10 dinars I ever spent.
Jamais l'or n'a perdu la plus petite occasion de se montrer stupide. -Balzac
As soon as I'm with people I tell them that I'm a coin collector and it's incredible the number of people who have coins brought back from abroad that they have stored in a bowl but who won't never use them again and who therefore ... give them to me 😄
A few years ago I got a box from my grandmother she had found after my grandfather. She thought it was a collection of my grandfather's brother, who tragically died when he was 14.
In this box there were a lot of common coins, but there were a few jems. Among the gems were three of this, three of this, and this one. 🤩
Check reject trays of self service tills, vending machines, coinstars etc for free coins. Alternatively ask friends or relatives about any coins/notes they have either an old collection or leftover currency from trips abroad.
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Check reject trays of self service tills, vending machines …
One time, I've got a presidential dollar … in France :)
For me it was a Russian 10 Roubles found on a beach in Hurghada Egypt.
Hi to whoever is reading this. Did you know that TYPEWRITER (on a QWERTY keyboard) is the longest word you can type using only the letters on one row of the keyboard.
May coin shops will sometimes give cheap coins away for free if you buy some better coins. Coins by the pound is really the way to go if you are trying to build a collection quickly (although not free). There is of course spotting foreign coinage and asking for it, whether a friend or with a cashier
Kenny
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My sister is working in a supermarket in Hungary, and 2 or 3 years ago, one customer complained that the self-service machine doesn't work, because he can't put coins to the machine. My sister opened it, and the reason of the malfunction was this coin, stucked inside the machine. This is very odd, because now there is no coin in Hungary in circulation which is similar, so I don't understand why and how could somebody put this to the machine.
May coin shops will sometimes give cheap coins away for free if you buy some better coins. Coins by the pound is really the way to go if you are trying to build a collection quickly (although not free). There is of course spotting foreign coinage and asking for it, whether a friend or with a cashier
Same here I have some friends who are collectors and they sell me stuff at discount price, also I have had a few freebies off them.
My sister is working in a supermarket in Hungary, and 2 or 3 years ago, one customer complained that the self-service machine doesn't work, because he can't put coins to the machine. My sister opened it, and the reason of the malfunction was this coin, stucked inside the machine. This is very odd, because now there is no coin in Hungary in circulation which is similar, so I don't understand why and how could somebody put this to the machine.
I once saw an Indian coin inside a charity collection box, but I could not get it out.
I always searched under the seat cushions of easy chairs and sofas of any such room I had, and invariably found small change, - as well as food fragments and general trash.
I do this all the time, in bars, hotels, waiting rooms etc. (It drives my wife mad). I always look under hotel beds and never miss a Coinstar machine.
I always searched under the seat cushions of easy chairs and sofas of any such room I had, and invariably found small change, - as well as food fragments and general trash.
I do this all the time, in bars, hotels, waiting rooms etc. (It drives my wife mad). I always look under hotel beds and never miss a Coinstar machine.
Jamais l'or n'a perdu la plus petite occasion de se montrer stupide. -Balzac
Check reject trays of self service tills, vending machines, coinstars etc for free coins. Alternatively ask friends or relatives about any coins/notes they have either an old collection or leftover currency from trips abroad.
+1 for Coinstar. When I was a younger collector, my father looked at a Coinstar tray during his lunch and found an 1861 1 Kopeck and an 1872 20 Kopecks.
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Coin referee for CRI, GTM, HND, NIC, PAN, and SLV.
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Revisor de Numista para monedas de CRI, GTM, HND, NIC, PAN y SLV.
Also hang around coin shops because I traded with someone who wanted to get rid of some pound coins albeit he wanted like £2 for them.
Hi to whoever is reading this. Did you know that TYPEWRITER (on a QWERTY keyboard) is the longest word you can type using only the letters on one row of the keyboard.
coin inside a charity collection box, but I could not get it out.
Doesn't sound right
I don't see a problem with that, they are just going to throw it away. If it’s not their currency then they won’t be able to use it for charity and the average person doesn’t care, they just trash stuff.
My friends, dad works at the local dump. And he’s had tons of coins that people were tossing out. This is in the US, and this one guy was throwing away a box full of coins. The crazy thing is, they were all US coins! Why didn’t he just take them to the bank? Anyway, it was about $50 worth of coins with multiple silver quarters and dimes in it. Another time he got a sack full of Indian head pennies. He’s even gotten guns, Some old shotguns and rifles. People throw away anything, even money!
Taking a break from swapping for a while, but still interested in pre 1799 Spanish coins, I will make time for that!
coin inside a charity collection box, but I could not get it out.
Doesn't sound right
I don't see a problem with that, they are just going to throw it away. If it’s not their currency then they won’t be able to use it for charity and the average person doesn’t care, they just trash stuff.
My friends, dad works at the local dump. And he’s had tons of coins that people were tossing out. This is in the US, and this one guy was throwing away a box full of coins. The crazy thing is, they were all US coins! Why didn’t he just take them to the bank? Anyway, it was about $50 worth of coins with multiple silver quarters and dimes in it. Another time he got a sack full of Indian head pennies. He’s even gotten guns, Some old shotguns and rifles. People throw away anything, even money!
I found about 55 Euros (about 10 in change/rest notes) & 350 Swedish ( a 50 Kronors & 3 100 Kronors) in a suitcase that was thrown out in the garbage. I had to send the kronors to the Swedish Central bank for exchange as they were too circulated to keep. The exchange outlets wouldn't take them as they were phased out. The Euros I spent on my European vacation.
Now, if I see a suitcase, I just have to check it.
I've also seen people find banknotes in older, used books (on the TV show “Salvage Kings.”) & have seen posts to the same effect.
In the old days, when most people carried cash and cards were for the well off, it was not unusual to find money in the streets, most likely since someone had lost them or small fraction coins that peopled tossed. In my childhood I found banknotes several times, once a DKK 100 banknote. Back then a loaf (brick) of rye bread (1,800 g) was DKK 4.50. Today, a similar loaf of bread is DKK 20+ for 900 g.
In the old days, when most people carried cash and cards were for the well off, it was not unusual to find money in the streets, most likely since someone had lost them or small fraction coins that peopled tossed. In my childhood I found banknotes several times, once a DKK 100 banknote. Back then a loaf (brick) of rye bread (1,800 g) was DKK 4.50. Today, a similar loaf of bread is DKK 20+ for 900 g.
I remember once a few years ago some feral person dropped a load of coppers (1p and 2p) in the street outside the bank in Llangefni, I of course picked them up.
I found about 55 Euros (about 10 in change/rest notes) & 350 Swedish ( a 50 Kronors & 3 100 Kronors) in a suitcase that was thrown out in the garbage. I had to send the kronors to the Swedish Central bank for exchange as they were too circulated to keep. The exchange outlets wouldn't take them as they were phased out. The Euros I spent on my European vacation.
Now, if I see a suitcase, I just have to check it.
I've also seen people find banknotes in older, used books (on the TV show “Salvage Kings.”) & have seen posts to the same effect.
We are all treasure seekers, we all want to find that pot of gold…
Taking a break from swapping for a while, but still interested in pre 1799 Spanish coins, I will make time for that!
I don't see a problem with that, they are just going to throw it away. If it’s not their currency then they won’t be able to use it for charity and the average person doesn’t care, they just trash stuff.
I don't see a problem with that, they are just going to throw it away. If it’s not their currency then they won’t be able to use it for charity and the average person doesn’t care, they just trash stuff.
Taking money from a charity box is totally wrong. The charity decides how to use it.
The boxes are sealed.
Hence why I would not take it, anyway I could not get my fingers through the slot if I wanted to anyway. I remember a few years ago outside a supermarket near where I lived at the time, a fraudster used to stand outside with a bucket and ‘collect' money for charity only it was he who kept all of the money.
