Things You Can Do With Non Valuable Coins You Don't Want!

When collecting coins, you tend to amass a collection of face value or foreign coins that are not worth the time sorting through. Here are some things I've thought of that can be done with unwanted coins!

Coin rings

Tools needed:
1. A hammer or spoon
2. A drill
3. A filing tool
4. A coin

Before you do this, make sure it is not too small! You will need an average sized coin; a US Quarter is perfect for this. Silver is best, but you would more likely use lower value metals (like alloys). You should also check if it irritates the skin. Copper will leave a green mark where it is on your finger, but this is completely harmless.

To start, place your coin on a solid surface. Grab your hammer or spoon and strike it onto the edge of the coin while rotating it at a consistent rate. This will thicken the edges. Thicker rings are smaller and take longer, while thin ones are faster to make and larger.

Once it is at sufficient thickness, drill a hole into the coin. Try to remove as much metal as possible, but keep dates and text if you want. Once you cannot drill further, use a file and remove the rest of metal and use sandpaper until it is comfortable.

There are other, more expensive yet reliable methods, but I will not go into those.


Filling albums

For coins that have years and/or mint marks, you can fill out spare coin albums. This is great for low value coins that you haven't bothered putting into an album.

Deposit or swap for bills at a bank

If you have lots (and I do mean LOTS) of coins and plenty of wrappers, you can put them in and get much more convenient bills or deposit into your account. Depending on the bank, they might let you trade rolls; I personally have found some interesting coins from trading rolls.

Giving away

Charity is always a great thing, and it can make you feel great! Whether it be donating a spare nickel to a charity or going as far as spreading the hobby of coin collecting to the next generation by giving people that are interested some coins to start off with.

Misc

Here are some things you can do that were too specific to give a full section to:

1. Using coins as small weights
2. Throwing coins on the ground in public
3. Turning coins into artworks
4. Using an especially shiny coin as a reflective surface if lost to get attention from others so you can be okay
5. Carrying them as change