“You break that bank note of 20 dollars or 20 pounds and then you get a few smaller notes and coins that end up in a drawer or a jar,” said Mario Van Poppel, owner and founder of Leftover Currency, which helps people cash in their foreign currencies. “But there are lots of creative things that people can do with bank notes and coins.”
Instead of tossing the cash in your junk drawer, you can still squeeze value out of leftover bills and coins for your own use — or for a greater cause.
Paula Twidale, senior vice president at AAA Travel, warns against sitting on foreign cash for too long. Over time, it can become obsolete. Last January, Croatia replaced the kuna, its national currency, with the euro. In 2016, India eliminated all 500- and 1,000-rupee notes and introduced a 2,000 denomination, which it yanked last year.
To minimize monetary losses, switch to cash payments a few days before you depart. Dole out tips to the hotel and restaurant staff, and drop some coins into buskers’ instrument cases. When checking out, pay a portion (or all) of the hotel bill in bank notes. Take cabs that accept bills.
Unfortunately, when dealing with foreign currencies, ATMs don’t work two ways. You can withdraw foreign cash from overseas bank machines, but you can’t deposit the bills back into your account.
You can, however, sell unused notes to banks and currency exchange specialists.
Twidale recommends selling leftover foreign currency at your departure airport or upon landing in the United States. The convenience and expediency will make up for the less-than-stellar rate and commission fee.
On a recent weekday morning, I lugged two quart-size freezer bags stuffed with more than two dozen currencies to a Bank of America branch in Washington. The teller inspected each note for year, denomination and condition. He rejected more than he accepted; “out of circulation” was a common refrain. I made $112 on legal tender from Peru, England, Canada and Jamaica. For the Turkish lira, my bank takes only the 20 note, which netted me a piddly 58 cents.
After visiting the bank, I tried my chances elsewhere.
Marc Broder, owner of Treasure Trove Foreign Currency Exchange in Washington, D.C., said about 40 percent of his transactions involve trade-ins for U.S. dollars. Though he handles about 90 currencies, he can’t accept every bank note that slides across his desk. Many are outdated or have no value, such as my Republic of Ireland one-pound note, Pakistani rupees and Argentine pesos, which he said “weren’t even worth a penny.” However, he will accept these artifacts as a donation; he distributes them to collectors and children.
Many banks provide a similar service for their customers. They will typically buy back hard foreign currencies but will pass on soft or defunct currencies. (Hard currencies are stable; soft currencies are volatile.)
Businesses that specialize in coins and collectibles often purchase foreign money, though the payout is typically less than what you would receive from a bank or exchange bureau. On the upside, these stores often purchase obscure or outdated bills and impossible-to-unload coins.
In my quest to divest myself of foreign cash, I dropped by Capitol Coin and Stamp Co., a D.C. collectibles store in business for more than 60 years. The owner, Nelson Whitman, poured the coins onto a small mat covered in dark cloth. “All this old stuff has no value,” he said. “It’s obsolete.”
But not totally worthless. He extracted about $11 in British coins and offered to pay me 10 cents per bank note, which he would sell for 20 cents each. He filled out an invoice for $7.50 and paid me in cash.
Savvy online sellers can try their luck on eBay or through such Facebook groups as Coin Collecting Buy Sell Trade Ask.
To determine a list price, Broder recommended using Google Lens. He demonstrated by snapping a photo of my Algerian 1,000-dinar note and finding a similar bill listed on eBay for $13, almost twice as much as its face value.
Use a leftover currency specialist
If you are still left with a mound of money, you could enlist the help of a company that specializes in finding repositories for unused or unwanted currencies.
Van Poppel, of Leftover Currency, said his office in Datchet, outside London, receives daily parcels stuffed with foreign bills and coins. His staff will send the money to entities that might buy or accept it, such as national banks. His team also receives requests from film studios seeking vintage currency to use as movie props.
“If it is a period drama set in the 1970s, the film studio will need the currency from that day,” he said. “The real thing is always better for the actors.”
Van Poppel said the return on the currencies might be underwhelming, but sometimes money is not the object.
“We have people sending in very small amounts that are lower than the cost of postage,” he said. “We ask them why, and they tell us they’re happy it’s going to good use. It’s not being thrown away, and they have clean cupboards.”
Charities and other donations
At airports around the world, travelers can deposit leftover currencies in donation boxes — or, more often, giant globes — earmarked for charities. On some international carriers, flight attendants collect loose change from passengers. The money goes to nonprofits dedicated to such causes as fighting child hunger, as well as to community programs.
Through Help Alliance, a nonprofit founded by Lufthansa Group employees, travelers can contribute currencies on long-haul flights run by Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Edelweiss Air, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings or Condor. Passengers can also donate at German airports.
Since 1991, UNICEF has worked with airlines on its Change for Good initiative. It accepts foreign currencies through its air industry partners as well as individual contributions sent by mail or dropped off in person. Oxfam International, which has nearly two dozen affiliates, runs a similar program.
The Humane Society of the United States accepts cash and coin donations in foreign currencies.
You can also try contacting local schools or libraries about donating your currencies, which educators can use for lessons, art projects or exhibits.
Finally, if friends or family members have an upcoming overseas trip, give them the gift of your unused currency.
