How to Dispose of Unwanted Money

Tomorrow I'll be stopping at the post office to drop off a box filled with foreign coins and banknotes.

Last year, at Newcastle International Airport, I showed my nephews an easier way to dispose of foreign currency. I led them to a big, bubble-shaped currency donation bin, then handed them some UK coins. As you can see in the picture at the top of this post, they were happy to perform The Disposal. 

They didn't think to rush over to a concession to buy candy with their new-found wealth. I'm grateful they want to help others.

I was thinking about this coin-drop the other day as I was sorting through my collection of leftover foreign currency. I always tell myself the money will be useful "the next time I go."

Eight of the currencies are no long in circulation. Euros have overtaken francs and lira, China has superseded the UK as master of Hong Kong. Some coins are probably worthless, and can't be traded for today's currencies. I regret not always following the example I taught my nephews.

In Japan I have a currency disposal system. Before leaving Japan I tip a bagful of my accumulated 1 and 5 Yen coins into a temple donation box. 

This is a noisy exercise, so I always choose a quiet temple where I won't alarm local sensibilities with my ostentatious display of apparent generosity. I'm grateful for the peace and beauty of Japan's temples.

But what do I do with all the different currencies I've collected in a drawer over the years? 

UNICEF has a Change for Good program. All I have to do is mail the currencies to a New York City address. Here's the inventory of currencies I'm sending:

Country	Amount	Currency	US Dollars	Notes
Argentina	1	Peso	$0.06
Chile	3000	Peso	$4.55
Canada	3	Dollar	$2.29
Denmark	27	Krone	$3.86
Finland	74	Markka	$12.04
France	56	Franc	$9.10	Pre-euro, possibly worthless
Germany	30	Mark	$62.45	Pre-euro, still convertible
Hong Kong	8	Dollar	$1.03	Pre-sovereignty transfer, probably still legal
Iceland	10	Krone	$0.88
India	173	Rupee	$2.50	It's illegal to take currency out of India
Israel	41	Shekel	$10.73
Italy	60	Lira	$0.03	Pre-euro, probably worthless
Japan	1408	Yen	$12.29	Small coins I don't want to carry on my next trip
Macau	12	Pataca	$0.25	Pre-sovereignty transfer, probably still legal
Netherlands	1	Guilder	$0.48	Pre-euro, probably worthless
Norway	18	Krone	$2.12
Spain	5	Peseta	$0.03	Pre-euro, probably worthless
Sweden	96	Krona	$10.77
Switzerland	8	Franc	$7.94
Thailand	2	Baht	$0.06
Turkey	5	Lira	$1.34
UK	3	Pound	$3.65	Small coins I don't want to carry on my next trip
		Total	$148.45

Note: I used XE to convert legal tender, and CoinMill to convert obsolete currencies.

This picks up on three of my current themes: 

1. Simplify.
   Eliminating abandoned bags of coins and notes helps unclutter our lives.
2. Small steps.
   $148 is a small donation, but it's better than no donation. In 2010, we walked through the north of England for 330 miles, one step at a time. Next week, I will complete 39 radiation therapy sessions, one morning at a time.
3. Act on what I am for (rather than what I am against).
   The UN is a necessary, though flawed, institution. As well as providing a forum for nations to at least pay lip service to world peace, the UN runs vital agencies like UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and the World Meteorological Organization.