The Copper Pot

[Harrowby Hall]

A friend of mine calls it her copper pot. I suspect most of us have one but may not know it under that name. It is the receptacle into which brown, very low value coins are thrown in order to reduce the weight in trouser pockets, purses and the like. I have one and it receives all 1p, 2p and 5p coins that end up in my possession. (As it happens, I also have a jar into which I place £2 coins that I remove from circulation - but that is a different matter.)

A few days ago, I counted the contents of my copper pot. It contained more than £20. My original plan had been to bag the coins appropriately and pay them into my bank account whenever I deposited a cheque. But cheques are now very thin on the ground.

Some supermarkets have machines that accept, count and refund the coins thrown into them - but then claim perhaps 10% of the value of the coins for doing this.

I then hit upon a cunning plan.

Usually, when shopping at a supermarket I pay using my debit card - contactless. Isn't technology wonderful? Alternatively, in Tesco, I use Tesco pay. which, using an app on my iPhone amounts to the same thing. On my last visit to Tesco I took £1 in 1p coins instead.  I bought only a few items and used the self-serve checkout. I surreptitiously poured the bag of minuscule coins into the funnel and waited. It accepted the coins and so I inserted a fiver to pay the balance. I did receive a couple of small value coins in the change - but that is a small price to pay.

I can possibly empty my copper pot in a couple of months ...

[floo]

We have a jar in which we put all our copper coins and 5ps, when it is full we give it to our vicar daughter for her church funds.

[Robbie]

Never occurred to me to empty my jar into self service check out! I give it to local charity (a full jar is also very good to do upper arm exercises, like dumbbells, I always have one full and one still collecting).

Thanks for tip HH, if I'm ever hard up which I hope is never I will ... think about what you did. Glad anyway your copper pot isn't just hanging about.

[Harrowby Hall]

Never occurred to me to empty my jar into self service check out! I give it to local charity ....

I know other people that do just the same. But it has  occurred to me that this might be a rather thoughtless gesture.

Charities probably dislike small coins for exactly the same reason that you don't like them. The are inconvenient, heavy and time consuming. You give your coins to a charity and some poor sucker has to waste time counting them and then carrying them to the bank, wait in line for counter service, wait while they are being weighed and checked  ...  and then waste time going back to the office.

Why don't you just do a credit transfer to the charity using your computer?

[Steve H]

I know other people that do just the same. But it has  occurred to me that this might be a rather thoughtless gesture.

Charities probably dislike small coins for exactly the same reason that you don't like them. The are inconvenient, heavy and time consuming. You give your coins to a charity and some poor sucker has to waste time counting them and then carrying them to the bank, wait in line for counter service, wait while they are being weighed and checked  ...  and then waste time going back to the office.

Why don't you just do a credit transfer to the charity using your computer?

My church collects pennies in a big gallon demijohn, so they don't seem to mind - they encourage it.

[Harrowby Hall]

My church collects pennies in a big gallon demijohn, so they don't seem to mind - they encourage it.

But it has flights of angels otherwise unoccupied to do the boring business.

[Rhiannon]

We save our copper for our holidays and the push machines in the arcade. There we exchange them for plastic tat and a bit of gambling fun.

[Robbie]

I know other people that do just the same. But it has  occurred to me that this might be a rather thoughtless gesture.

Charities probably dislike small coins for exactly the same reason that you don't like them. The are inconvenient, heavy and time consuming. You give your coins to a charity and some poor sucker has to waste time counting them and then carrying them to the bank, wait in line for counter service, wait while they are being weighed and checked  ...  and then waste time going back to the office.

Why don't you just do a credit transfer to the charity using your computer?

The coppers given to charity are an extra to anything we may give by DD or online, HH.  We take them out of our purses and pockets and put them in a jar or something similar, when full it is quite a lot.

I can assure you that charities do not mind receiving money in that form one bit! They're delighted. Think of the boxes on counters next to cash registers that are filled up by people's loose change. Ask them, they'll tell you - plus what stevenH said about his church collecting coppers.

(Rhi I've not seen machines that take coppers. I remember from my extreme youth there were slot machines for bars of chocolates - probably still are in some places - and maybe cigarettes unless I'm remembering wrongly, but certainly not seen anything on holiday & don't know what plastic tat is unless you exchange money for plastic tokens for something.)

[floo]

Some banks have copper sorters, I have seen them in action.

[Rhiannon]

The coppers given to charity are an extra to anything we may give by DD or online, HH.  We take them out of our purses and pockets and put them in a jar or something similar, when full it is quite a lot.

I can assure you that charities do not mind receiving money in that form one bit! They're delighted. Think of the boxes on counters next to cash registers that are filled up by people's loose change. Ask them, they'll tell you - plus what stevenH said about his church collecting coppers.

(Rhi I've not seen machines that take coppers. I remember from my extreme youth there were slot machines for bars of chocolates - probably still are in some places - and maybe cigarettes unless I'm remembering wrongly, but certainly not seen anything on holiday & don't know what plastic tat is unless you exchange money for plastic tokens for something.)

Push machines aren’t slot machines. They usually have three moving tiers and layers of copper coins plus small prizes - keyrings, plushies etc. When enough coins get ‘pushed’ they drop down a chute - you can cash them up or put them back in because sooner or later the coins will carry the prize down the chute too. As a bonus the machines often issue tickets that can be exchanged for other prizes. It’s a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon.

[Robbie]

Oh thanks, never seen anything like that. Going to Filey this year so may have a look see but, honestly, if it rains I'd rather read, sleep or go swimming. Still, worth a look, they sound novel (tho don't know what plushies are).

[Rhiannon]

Oh thanks, never seen anything like that. Going to Filey this year so may have a look see but, honestly, if it rains I'd rather read, sleep or go swimming. Still, worth a look, they sound novel (tho don't know what plushies are).

They’ve been around at seaside resorts for as long as I can remember. Tbh I’d rather read or walk in the beach in the rain, but I have younger people who might not. Although it won’t be long before my youngest would prefer to be off on his own...

(Plushies - small cuddly toy)

[Harrowby Hall]

Isn't the principle similar to that of some afternoon tv quiz game I vaguely recall seeing once.

[Robbie]

I don't know about the TV programme but I think the machine may be something like this:- https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Casdon-Penny-Falls-Coin-Pusher-Arcade-Game-/253588253351
only with little prizes like toys and keyrings.

Have to say I've never been in an arcade on holiday. Didn't see any arcades last year in Appledore, N Devon & Filey, where I've been loads of times since I was a child - going again this year. Maybe Scarborough and Whitby would have them but they wouldn't interest me.

Rhiannon:- ..though it won’t be long before my youngest would prefer to be off on his own...

I totally get that! There comes a time when the kids want to do their own thing with their friends - it's nice to have time to yourself too.

Anyway I hope you have a good holiday this year, whatever the weather. I'm really looking forward to mine in Filey, my sis has booked us a house & we have many rellies there, who came to us over Easter. We always have a good time with them.
May go to Barcelona later on in the year for a short break, just me and Chas.

I've forgotten what this thread is about.