The top of vending machines. The other day I was trying to decide between a snickers bar and M&M's and happened to lean my hand on the top of the vending machine. I was a bit suprised when my hand hit a coin. So I swept my hand across the top edge and ended up with 7 lincolns and a 1 Piso from the Philipines. Then I remembered having had a similar experience at another vending machine. Best I can figure is the vender has just been throwing the pennies and foreign coins people try to use on to the top of the machine. Granted this is not "big money" I'm talking about here, but hey, its free and I can't wait to see what will show up next.
Yes indeedy foreign coins do turn up. My friend found a coin from South Korea at a vending machine at school about two months ago and a couple weeks ago I found a coin from Mexico in the coin return there as well. I almost forgot but a while back I was checking the crack where two slabs of concrete meet up for change as I have been doing for years which is right where the vending machines are at a store and to my surprise I found a coin from Belgium of which I did not have.
Out of curiosity, I checked the vending machines here. I didn't find any foreign coins but I found 25 pennies. I had to laugh. I thought for sure that was just a unique habit of that particular vendoing machine operator but maybe it is common pracitce. I'll have to watch for some foreign coins. Yesterday, I did discover a Greek coin from 1984 that I had tucked away in the back of my bureau and had forgotten about. I dont' recall how I got it. Finding it (again) was a complete suprise.
Don't forget to check those Coinstar machines! Joe is even trained now to the point that whenever he goes to the grocery store with me that is the first thing he checks as it is right inside the door. I've also made friends with the 'front end supervisor' there and she now checks the machine for me a couple of times a day and stashes aside any goodies she comes up with. Usually Great Britain coins but the occasional Japan, Greece and Bahamas have turned up this way also
If you have/can make any connections with the head cashier or similar person(s) at many of the stores (larger, chain affiliated ones seem best), they are often willing to get rid of tokens and foreign coins for free, or at least for very reasonable money. I have some watching for silver coins, wheaties and oddities as well. Bank tellers can be another good source.
"The top of vending machines." you say! Thanks lawdogct, it will give me something to do when I get to go shopping with the wife, besides follow her up and down each aisle.
