10 Things You Can Do with Leftover Foreign Coins

After traveling abroad, it's nice to settle down back at home. You get to show off all the pictures you took and gifts you bought, which is always a great time with family and friends.

Many travelers find themselves with unwanted things after a trip. You might have a collection of foreign coins left from your previous trips that collect in your sock drawer. If you don't plan on going back to where you got them from, they become an eyesore after a while.

Don't waste valuable space in your home with a cup of change. Instead, try these ten things you can do with leftover foreign coins. You'll find the right purpose for them and get back to traveling to new places.

Further reading: Tips to navigate currency exchange before your trip

Speaking of, check out U30X trips on sale! This is a great way to travel with amazing people and save some coin (no pun intended).

1. Give Them As Gifts

Think about the people in your life and consider if they'd enjoy receiving a coin or two. Foreign coins fascinate young kids because they get to hold something from a different part of the planet. It's an extra special gift they'll enjoy longer than another toy.

Adults may also appreciate foreign coins, especially if they're travelers at heart who can't take trips as often as they'd like.

2. Donate Them to Charity

You can always make a change in the world, especially if you have foreign coins lying around. Find a padded envelope and mail your foreign coins to UNICEF, which takes any currency.

3. Make Coin Magnets

Do your coins catch your eye? They might be perfect for magnets, which you can make with a few supplies and just a few minutes of your spare time. Use them on your fridge as a creative way to display your travels.

4. Head to Starbucks

Avoid currency exchange fees by loading coins onto Starbucks gift cards during your next trip to town. It's an easy way to use your change without paying more than what the coins are worth.

5. Store Them Away

If you'd prefer to hold onto your coins, you can store them away safely by following tips used by coin collectors. Once your coins find a home, humidity, lights and other elements can't damage them.

6. Loan Them to Friends

Teachers could always use foreign coins as a teaching opportunity with their students, so loan your coins to friends if you have teachers in your social circle. History teachers could use them to talk about other countries or English teachers might show them off as their class reads a story that takes place in the coin's country of origin.

7. Trace the Coins

Use colored pencils, crayons or markers to trace your coins onto a piece of paper and create copies of them. They make wonderful pieces of artwork, especially when done tastefully with professional art supplies.

8. Line a Picture Frame

Do you have many copies of the same coin? Use them to line the outside of a picture frame with a little glue. The embellishment will look perfect when the frames contain pictures of your travels.

9. Store Them for Later

There's always the option to save the coins for later if you return to their country of origin. Coins won't expire, so they'll be worth just as much whenever you're able to return. You can also deposit them in your bank account and check out some more trips! Under30Experiences (U30X) has small group adventures all over the world for ages 21-15, and 30s 40s!

10. Sell Them Online

Collectors always look for coins to add to their collections, so you're likely to make a profit if you sell your coins online. Browse around to see what they're selling for and price them reasonably when you make your own post.‍

Consider Your Options

There are many things you can do with your foreign coins, so consider your options carefully. Do something lasting, like saving them in a coin collection, or donate them to charity. Whatever you decide to do, it'll be a better option than leaving the coins to sit around in the corners of your home.

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