World coins you have spent while traveling abroad

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When I was last in the states I used lots and lots of states and parks quarters in purchases.

 

English is the closest there is to a universal language, thanks in part to the British Empire, and probably American economic strength too. English is the language of money, and for many knowing how to speak it is simply a job skill.

When I visit a non-English speaking country for the first time, I take a 'cheat sheet' of common phrases in the local language. I figure it's a courtesy to them to try to communicate in their language. Invariably though, I've discovered English to be widely spoken wherever I've traveled, at least to some degree.

I literally had to force a waiter in Prague to let me order a beer in Czech — "Pivo, prosim!"

 

Over the years I used all the West German circulation types and many Euro types. Most interesting though was in the past when I was going to go to Canada I would ask the local merchants and banks if they had any Canadian coins they wanted to get rid of and I would end up taking rolls of coins and a few old banknotes back to Canada. Worked out very well for all concerned since merchants and banks here are stuck with Canadian coins that they get and have no way to redeem them and I even found a few silver coins in the process.

 

Yeap, very few dual language signage - only English. A friend of mine said it best: An American tourist who speaks no Chinese will not get lost in Singapore, but a tourist from China who understands no English will be in trouble.

 

Spent on "comfort plasters" to cover the blisters I got after spending hours walking through Fort Canning Park on a business trip in new deck shoes. Also had a lesson that "Band Aid" was a brand, not a product.



This one is just an expensive souvenir I took home for the collector in me.



I stayed right around the corner from The Chinese Chamber Of Commerce



I did not spend anything on this, but did have my camera with me while looking for a Coke in the 7-Eleven around the corner from my hotel.





Purchased some adult beverages with this one.

 

canadian currency when i useed to visit, sherbrook, quebec and toronto and toronto back wnece in me 20's some 30 or 35 yrs ago..spent them, so no longer have em..i used to go to this store in colebrook, nh, and buy 200.00 in canadian )funny_ money when i used to go up sight seeing and visiting the strip clubs, as nh had none at the time

 

They were still restoring Dresden when we were there 3 years ago.

I don't have pictures of coins subsequently re-spent in their home countries, but it's a cool idea. We have piles of Thai baht that we try to bring back on the next trip over, that I spend on beer and toilets and what-not, but whenever we come back somehow we have more.

 

In the early 90s I visited the Netherlands. I used guilders ( I don't remember how many) to purchase this crown in Amsterdam.

 

Spent quite a few of these back in the 90’s.
I think I remember buying spaghetti at the McDonald’s in Manila

 

Yes those were the good old days!

 

Canada 2013

 

Dominican Republic 2017

 

Iceland 2015

 

Jamaica 2017 and 2019

 

Mexico 2016

 

English is all but the official language in Amsterdam, was there in 2019.

 

Norway 2015