Best place for foreign curreny exchange (coins)

antispam246

Over the past year I've accumulated a treasure trove of various coins of all types of currency. With the way the pound is right now, I'd like to exchange it all into sterling. Again, it's all coinage. I probably have amassed just about every type of currency out there and lots of it.

Where would be the best place to exchange this, or possibly, who would actually do this, considering, it's alot of coins of different currencies? Ideally I'd like to do it all in one go, which means one place but obviously rates are going to vary everywhere so, that may not be the best option.

As stupid as this will sound, I think I know the answer but I want to ensure I'm covering all my options, or gladly open to any ideas. I work at an airport and one of my perks is no commision/fees on currency exchanges, further more I can accumulate cashback in points form by doing it. Even with that I have various options as to where I can exchange even within the airport. I know my best bet is to merely ask at each exchange. I'd still like to know if I'm overlooking any superior alternatives here.

I'm about to start the long process of counting each total of each currency so I have something more solid to work with but any other ideas in the meanwhile are greatly appreciated.

phatbear

The Bureau de Changes wont accept coins, given that you work in a airport there are machines normally out on the satellites which will change your chage for english money, of course the exchange is shocking and its usually only euros and cents (US) that it accepts.

[Deleted User]

Changing coins in a bank or bureau de change here in the UK, is not possible to my knowledge. Coins from Greece, Portugal, France, Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg are worthless in monetary terms. Their respective central banks has stopped redeeming them. Other countries such as Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy and Finland will still redeem their own issued coins at least until end of February 2012. Banknotes from ALL the old European currencies are also redeemable until 2012. As you work in an airport, why don't you ask travellers flying home if they can exchange the coins for you? It saves you time and money not having to go to various countries yourself to redeem coins.
I'm flying off to Mulhouse myself in two weeks time to cash in 2,450 French francs (notes only)+ roughly 1,700 Swiss francs in coins, weighing about 8.8 kilos!

antispam246

Asking travellers is definately not an option, although, I will bare that in mind. I don't think I have any coinage of old monetary value, i.e pre-euro, I was referring to more euro and international, sorry should have clarifie, I'm sure there are a few tucked away somewhere so it's good to know some are still re-deemable.

Is there definately no where in the u.k that I can exchange coins at reasonable rates? I've noticed places online that offer a collective service, well, actually one via google, that looks kind of dodgy to be honest but perhaps there are legitmate sites that do it?

dzug1

Even if there is somewhere in the UK it's probably going to cost you more to get the coins there than they are worth.

The usual outlet for small quantities is charity shops.

richardw

Give to charity and get a good feeling in exchange

antispam246

Charity starts at home In all seriousness, it'd be too much to give away. I'll have to do more research, cheers.

[Deleted User]

What currencies in coins do you have most of if I may ask?
USD, EUR, CAD and JPY should be easy to exchange with travellers. Why hesitate asking passengers in the airport where you work. Getting your coins changed at least into notes in the same currency, should be a piece of cake I'd imagine.

antispam246

It's an idea I'll consider but it's kind of inappropriate and not ideal, in my position.

richardw

antispam246 wrote: »

Charity starts at home In all seriousness, it'd be too much to give away. I'll have to do more research, cheers.

Don't understand how you can accumulate all of this coinage without realising you may not be able to change it into sterling.

antispam246

Think of it as a large container you drop your pennies in for a rainy day and don't bother coutning them. It's just something I've collected for awhile without really paying attention to it, now it's taking up too much space, so... yeh.

It honestly never occured to me that there would be nowhere in the U.K that would take coinage in an exchange, I actually find it bizarre.