G'day all! In the end of May I'll be visiting Ireland for a week (so stay indoors! 🤪)
I am currently “cleaning up” in my collection, and have sorted out about 20 € worth of change. But then it hit me; what kind of coins are used in Ireland? Do you guys use all denominations, or are there any, like the 1 and 2 cents, that you don't use (like the Dutch?)? Just wondering it it's worth to drag all my 1 and 2 cents over to spend, or if I just will end up in dragging them back home again. 😅
I don't have that amount of 1 cent coins, though, and living in a country where it's more common to refuse cash payments than accepting it, I was curious if there are any linitations in what denominations that are used and circulating in Ireland. 😉
Ireland started rounding to the nearest 5-cent value on cash transactions back in 2015.
Retailers don't have to accept the coins but they can if they want to. I know from experience that some major retailers like Dunne's grocery / dept store still accept 1- and 2-cent coins at the self-checkout lanes. Not sure how many the machines will accept at once but they do accept them. Buy some drinks or lunch etc. You could also try any Post Office - they can accept them if they want to. I find most postal clerks to be very kind so this is a solid option especially if buying stamps etc. Also, I dumped quite a few of the 1- and 2-cent coins at the Bank of Ireland just before the pandemic. They gave me little plastic bags to sort them. Then they weighed the bags and gave me the equivalent in banknotes.
In short, I recommend bringing the coins and trying to use them at a Post Office or a major shop with self checkout lanes. You can always dump them in a church poorbox if you can't spend them all.
last time I went to London I had the same question with 1 and 2p coins.. if carrying your coins there is already an option, then the weight of them can't be that bad, so consider this… I took my coins there, didn't worry about commerce and just used them for other touristy or charitable things - charity boxes at any checkout till, fountain tosses, and a-few-at-a-time coins for street musicians (for the musicians, they got extra 1 or 2 pound coins, but at least they live there and can take the coppers to their bank).
last time I went to London I had the same question with 1 and 2p coins.. if carrying your coins there is already an option, then the weight of them can't be that bad, so consider this… I took my coins there, didn't worry about commerce and just used them for other touristy or charitable things - charity boxes at any checkout till, fountain tosses, and a-few-at-a-time coins for street musicians (for the musicians, they got extra 1 or 2 pound coins, but at least they live there and can take the coppers to their bank).
That is true. But this is also my chance to finally get rid of them (they're too poor to be worth swapping), and these small little things starts to pile up.
Talking about the UK I definitely hope they accept 1 p and 2 p coins, and I probably have a pound or two of these alone! But to my horror I've realised that the older £1 coins are no longer legal tender, so that's a bummer considering I probably have £50 worth of these from my last visit, like 8 years ago … 😱
At least the £2 coins are still legal tender, right?
Talking about the UK I definitely hope they accept 1 p and 2 p coins, and I probably have a pound or two of these alone! But to my horror I've realised that the older £1 coins are no longer legal tender, so that's a bummer considering I probably have £50 worth of these from my last visit, like 8 years ago … 😱
At least the £2 coins are still legal tender, right?
If I remember correctly, “round pounds” are still readily exchangeable at banks and post offices. You can even redeem pre-decimal coinage for their decimal value.
Master Coin Referee
Coin referee for CRI, GTM, HND, NIC, PAN, and SLV.
Revisor principal de monedas
Revisor de Numista para monedas de CRI, GTM, HND, NIC, PAN y SLV.
Talking about the UK I definitely hope they accept 1 p and 2 p coins, and I probably have a pound or two of these alone! But to my horror I've realised that the older £1 coins are no longer legal tender, so that's a bummer considering I probably have £50 worth of these from my last visit, like 8 years ago … 😱
At least the £2 coins are still legal tender, right?
If I remember correctly, “round pounds” are still readily exchangeable at banks and post offices. You can even redeem pre-decimal coinage for their decimal value.
Pre-decimal coins have to be taken to the Old Lady in Threadneedle Street ( the Bank of England in London).
I don't know if banks & post offices will take them though.
I looked into this, and most banks will redeem pre-decimal coinage but some will not accept sixpences.
6 Pence = 2 ½ Pence.
1 Shilling = 5 Pence.
2 Shillings = 10 Pence.
The 6 Pence coin was pulled from circulation in 1980, whereas, 1/- & 2/- coins remained in circulation until the early 1990's.
In Ireland, the 6 Pence was pulled from circulation in 1971, the 1/- & 2/- were pulled from circulation in around 1992 & 1993, when the small 5 Pence & 10 Pence replaced the large ones.
Talking about the UK I definitely hope they accept 1 p and 2 p coins, and I probably have a pound or two of these alone! But to my horror I've realised that the older £1 coins are no longer legal tender, so that's a bummer considering I probably have £50 worth of these from my last visit, like 8 years ago … 😱
At least the £2 coins are still legal tender, right?
If I remember correctly, “round pounds” are still readily exchangeable at banks and post offices. You can even redeem pre-decimal coinage for their decimal value.
I was not able to get rid of my round pounds at the bank the last time round which was about 2 years ago. But before that, you could walk into any bank whether you were a customer or not and have them give you new coins or banknotes
At Gatwick and Heathrow, you can however buy condoms from the vending machines in the men’s washrooms… with round pound coins!. £50 should get you a decent supply ;)
At Gatwick and Heathrow, you can however buy condoms from the vending machines in the men’s washrooms… with round pound coins!. £50 should get you a decent supply ;)
Talking about the UK I definitely hope they accept 1 p and 2 p coins, and I probably have a pound or two of these alone! But to my horror I've realised that the older £1 coins are no longer legal tender, so that's a bummer considering I probably have £50 worth of these from my last visit, like 8 years ago … 😱
At least the £2 coins are still legal tender, right?
If I remember correctly, “round pounds” are still readily exchangeable at banks and post offices. You can even redeem pre-decimal coinage for their decimal value.
I was not able to get rid of my round pounds at the bank the last time round which was about 2 years ago. But before that, you could walk into any bank whether you were a customer or not and have them give you new coins or banknotes
At Gatwick and Heathrow, you can however buy condoms from the vending machines in the men’s washrooms… with round pound coins!. £50 should get you a decent supply ;)
Gibraltar still has a 1 Pound coin in circulation - the Round Pound.
Aidan.
So, in theory, could I spend my round UK pounds there?
Yes, I think you can - as 1 Gibraltarian Pound = 1 Pound Sterling.
It means you can spend British money in Gibraltar, but the reverse isn't true - but coins from Gibraltar & other Pound Sterling users do turn up in change in the U.K..
I think you can still find 1 Penny & 2 Pence coins from Ireland in change in the U.K. as well.
