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one machine had 2 pennies

another had 3 pennies, 2 nickels and a 25 c piece from the east carribian islands

An odd thing happened today that shows we should listen to that "inner voice" more often.

I was sitting around lamenting having to do food shopping, almost putting it off entirely till tomorrow. Then I looked at the clock and suddenly I had this "I'm gonna do it right now" feeling, and drove to my local Smith's. The Coinstar there has given up a few goodies this summer and today I found four zincolns on the way in - not much, but I was happy it.

As I was leaving with my full cart and empty wallet, I notice the two cashiers who monitor the self-checkout lanes both looking at something in their hands and I heard one say "I think they're British". Well, my ears perked up! I joined the conversation and like a guy on Antiques Roadshow, I ID'ed each of the three oddball coins. They asked if I wanted them and I said heck yeah! Then, I asked if they get a lot of "weird" coins and "Tina" said "Oh yeah, we usually just throw them away" So I asked if she could save them for me from now on and she said she'd be happy to.
Bam! Connection made. Told her I'd get her a Starbucks card as thanks but she said not necessary.

The weirdest part was, her shift was ending just as I approached. If I had procrastinated more at home or dawdled while shopping I would've missed her entirely. What spurred me to get off my duff so suddenly?

The coins were a Mexican peso (1984), British five pence (2014), and an good luck "Angel" token.

I had to stop for one thing to pick up for Dad, I actually forgot and was almost to him but turned around anyway. I decided to check the coinstar on the way in, there was a large handful of coins in the return tray I scooped them up and heading into the store was late so I forgot about them.

I got home before I checked them.

over 2 euros including a 1 euro coin
a loonie and a few dimes + penny
some Aluminum 1 cent coin, that I have no idea China?
a Good luck Angel
a T token!! MBTA Subway, Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority they haven't used these in ten years
1/2 Frac
a few other beat up penny's some with the queen on them
And the cherry on top
One SILVER Dime Rosie 1951.

49 cents in clad and zincolns in the reject chute today.

While walking by a coinstar machine, I saw 3 coins sitting on the counter/ledge:
1 beat up cent
1 5 cent Cayman Islands
and a slick Standing Liberty Quarter!!!!

you guys have ALL the luck... I never find anything. Guess I must live in a below poverty level area or something. I do find pennies laying in the parking lots
when I go for walks, but they're almost not worth the effort of bending over to pick up (almost )

No people are lazy and spend 8 -10% for coinstar fees, and as they are making "money" turning in these coins, they don't care about the rejects! I do, I welcome them into my house!

beauanderos wrote:you guys have ALL the luck... I never find anything. Guess I must live in a below poverty level area or something. I do find pennies laying in the parking lots
when I go for walks, but they're almost not worth the effort of bending over to pick up (almost )

Not sure I totally agree with this. I have a friend who used to own a pawn shop. He would go on and on about the ill-advised things that poor people do with money:

1) Pay really high interest rates to rent things like TV's, etc.;
2) Value things like iPhones that will be worthless in a few years;
3) Spend a high percentage of their income on all kinds of things like tattoos, lottery tickets in big numbers (because they feel lucky or "deserve" a break), cigarettes and alcohol; and
4) Have no qualms about paying 8.9% to dump their money into a Coinstar machine.

If you saw the guy, you'd swear he never owned a pawn shop- very cleancut former accounting major and a super nice guy. He got out of the business because he couldn't stand to see downtrodden people do the same garbage over and over. He says he tried helping and teaching others, but it was like talking to a wall.

Recyclersteve wrote: ... He got out of the business because he couldn't stand to see downtrodden people do the same garbage over and over. He says he tried helping and teaching others, but it was like talking to a wall.

This is some of the greatest frustration involved in ministry. In fact, I just read an article this morning about persevering despite this frustration. Some people don't want the help we have. And that proves true for every kind of help.

coindood wrote:Then, I asked if they get a lot of "weird" coins and "Tina" said "Oh yeah, we usually just throw them away" So I asked if she could save them for me from now on and she said she'd be happy to. Bam! Connection made.

After a couple of failed attempts to meet up with my new connection, I got a slight payoff today when she handed me a Netherlands 5 euro cent (2006) and a 2002 Mexican 10 pesos. I was grateful but it felt like small potatos after about three weeks. Then she explained that "somewhere" there's a small baggie with lots more that her co-workers misplaced on her. So I'm hopeful, and glad for what I did get.

Have been checking reject tray for years with no luck until yesterday.

A zinc so badly corroded it was almost unrecognizable and a silver dime.

Found these on top of a coinstar the other day.

1 euro 2002
10 cent euro 1999
10 pence 1992

Love the freebies

Checked 3 coinstars today.

Only find was a 2011 Canadian dime.

Smith's Coinstar source came thru with a half dozen goodies today:

(bold is either new to the collection or an upgrade)

Canada 5 cents (2012), 10 cents (1977)
Great Britain penny (2001)
South Korea 100 won (1992)
Spain 1 euro cent (2001)
"No Cash Value" Eagle token

3 bent pennies, 2 nickels and a 1984 Canadian quarter.

Three abandoned on the ledge now have a new home.

(bold is either new to the collection or an upgrade)

Argentina 1000 australes (1991)
Canada 10 cents (2003P crowned)
Canada 25 cents (2006 RCM)

I find myself stopping by Smith's if I'm in the neighborhood just to check the machine. Paid off today.

Canada 5 cents (2009)
France 10 euro cents (1999)

Mother lode from my Smith's source today. Find of the day came from the Eurozone.

(bold is either new to the collection or an upgrade)

Australia 10 cents (2013)
Canada 5 cents (2008, 2012(x2))
Canada 10 cents (2002P, 2004P, 2006 RCM)
France 2 euro cents (2008)
Germany 2 euro cents (2009D)
Great Britain 1 penny (2014)
Great Britain 5 pence (2014)
Ireland 5 pence (1993)
Korea (South) 100 won (2009)
Luxembourg 2 euro cents (2013) [My first Lëtzebuerg euro coin! ]
Switzerland ½ franc (1980)
Thailand 5 baht (2012)
Sibo Electronic gaming token (no date)

Five cents (four were zinc) plus a Venezuela 5 centimos (2007).

1943 wheat, 2006 candaian quarter,

Went in for a gallon of milk, checked the reject tray as I always do... woo hoo!

chucky cheese token

2 x diez peso

2 US quarters

a nickel ,,, must have gotten caught in a machine the rim is thickened.

I got 80 cents U.S. (Quarter, five dimes and five pennies). Also a Mexican $100 peso coin dated 1989. Also a 1992 British ten pence coin. Oh yeah, one of the U.S. dimes was silver (64-D). I got all these coins when I approached a guy at a Coinstar machine and offered to give him $1 for his rejects. He said he used to collect coins and said I could just keep them!