Coin Spinoff

[OrangeBirdGirl]

Yes, we save some of the coins and paper money (if it's low enough value in USD). My most unique is Italian Lira (pre-Euro). When we are out of the country, we hit the ATM every few days so we don't have an excess of cash to return home with. Maybe value of $100 USD or less, so I just keep each type of currency in an envelope and take for the next trip.

 

[_19disnA]

The times I traveled on business to Germany, I always went to my local bank ahead of time to get some paper currency for small purchases. MUCH better to do that ahead of time prior to traveling to avoid lousy exchange rates in many places. My bank will let you cash in paper money when you return at the going official rates. They won't bother with foreign coins, so you either should use them up before returning or perhaps keep them as a souvenir.

I know the Canadian quarter is similar to the US one (or at least used to be if still in use), so in many places you can use them interchangeably and not get stuck with them.

 

[AquaDame]

I still have a bunch of coins and small bills left over from my first trip to Europe before the euro… I was an kid and didn’t think to spend it before I came home. They’re all just in a ziplock with a paper that says what all is in there.

Now we spend it all or drop in the donation bins at the airport unless it looks especially neat or pretty. We have a few random bills on the fridge now from Kenya, Tanzania, the Cook Islands, Iceland, Chile, & Bermuda. We also have some euros and Canadian dollars we’ll spend the next time we visit.

Coins are harder… I have a few neat ones we did keep like a triangle coin but they’re hidden away so it’s kind of pointless really.

 

[QueenIsabella]

I still have a bunch of coins and small bills left over from my first trip to Europe before the euro… I was an kid and didn’t think to spend it before I came home. They’re all just in a ziplock with a paper that says what all is in there.

Now we spend it all or drop in the donation bins at the airport unless it looks especially neat or pretty. We have a few random bills on the fridge now from Kenya, Tanzania, the Cook Islands, Iceland, Chile, & Bermuda. We also have some euros and Canadian dollars we’ll spend the next time we visit.

Coins are harder… I have a few neat ones we did keep like a triangle coin but they’re hidden away so it’s kind of pointless really.

That's why I told my son to get one of those coffee tables that have the glass top, so he can display his currency. I doubt the whole lot is worth $30, but it's still interesting, especially to him. P.S. This will be when he has a "real" place--NOT for when he's in college, because you know how a glass-topped table would get treated in a college apartment!