You unpack your suitcase after an international trip, throw a few coins into the drawer and quickly forget about them.
Months – or years – later, you rediscover them while looking for batteries or a spare phone charger. Suddenly, you have a small pile of euros, pounds, pesos or yen and you wonder: Can I do anything with this?
At a time when Americans are rethinking their relationship with the changes left after the end of pen production, foreign coins present an even greater challenge. Unlike US coins, which can usually be spent, deposited into a bank account or converted into cash, foreign currency is often difficult to change once you return home. That leaves many travelers with money from other countries who are not sure what to do with it.
Fortunately, you have options.
Save them for your next trip
If you think you’ll be returning to the same country – or another country that uses the same currency – hanging on to coins can be an easy solution.
A few euros or pounds won’t fund your entire holiday, but they can come in handy for airport lockers, transport tickets, vending machines, luggage carts or other small expenses soon after arrival.
Many seasoned travelers keep a small amount of foreign currency for this purpose. But keep in mind that because exchange rates fluctuate over time, the value of those coins against the US dollar may be higher or lower when you return, possibly making them a little more – or a little less – than when you first brought them home.
Donate them
One of the easiest ways to put leftover coins to use is to give them away.
Some airports have donation boxes that collect foreign money for charities, such as UNICEF’s Change for Good. A number of international aid organizations and charities also run programs that allow you to send them foreign coins and notes.
A packet of low-grade coins may seem insignificant, but when thousands of travelers donate their spare change, it can add up quickly.
Sell them to collectors
Not every foreign coin is worth only its face value.
Old coins, discontinued coins and coins with unusual designs, manufacturing errors or limited production can sometimes attract interest from collectors.
Check the coin’s year, denomination and country of origin. Online marketplaces and coin collecting forums can help you determine if they’re worth more than the loose change lying around in your desk drawer.
Most coins in modern circulation will not be particularly valuable, but there are exceptions.
Use them for education or recreation
Foreign coins can make incredibly useful teaching tools.
Parents and teachers often use them to teach children about geography, history, languages and cultures of the world. Coin collectors may also enjoy organizing them into a first international collection.
If you have a large assortment from different countries, it can be an inexpensive conversation or travel souvenir. Foreign currency can also work when your child needs a little show-and-tell for school.
Give yourself traveling friends
Know someone headed abroad for business or pleasure?
Your forgotten travel leftovers can save them a little trouble when they arrive. Although the amount may be small, having local currency on hand can be convenient during the first few hours of the trip.
It’s not exactly a life-changing gift, but it’s one that guests often appreciate.
Turn them into souvenirs
Some people accept the fact that foreign coins are difficult to exchange and simply exchange them.
Coins can be displayed in shadow boxes, incorporated into crafts, used in jewelry projects or kept alongside photos and souvenirs from memorable trips.
If the amount is small, the emotional value may outweigh any dollar amount you can get back.
Why foreign coins are difficult to exchange
Unlike foreign banknotes, which most banks and currency exchange services can convert into US dollars, coins are a different story.
Many financial institutions will not accept foreign coins because they are expensive to handle compared to their value. Coins are difficult to ship, expensive to sort and difficult to process, especially when they come from many countries and different currencies.
As a result, the cost of exchanging foreign currencies often exceeds the amount that banks and exchange providers can receive from them.
If you have a large sum, it’s worth checking with your bank before you assume it’s unusable. But for many travelers, donating, saving or repurposing coins ends up being the most viable option.
That forgotten pile of foreign coins probably won’t make you rich. But it also doesn’t have to stay in the closet forever.
Whether you’re saving them for your next trip, donating them to charity, passing them on to a travel companion or turning them into souvenirs, those leftover coins can still serve a purpose long after your passport has been removed.
