What the hell is the point of coppers?

[CoughLaughFart]

No, it's not an anti-police thread - I'm talking about the useless low value coins that clutter up the house/my bag/the universe.

I've just bagged up tons of the bloody things to take to the Coinstar at Sainsbury's, and I can't remember the last time that that wasn't what I did with them. Does anyone actually pay for things with them? They cost more to produce than they're worth, I don't know anyone who actually uses them - what's the point?

I know some people worry it would drive prices up, but even if you bought 100 items that used to cost £1.72 and now cost £1.75, you've still only spent an extra £3. I'd be a damn sight more worried about how a post-Brexit pound slump will affect things.

Who agrees with me that it's time to consign coppers to history?

It's purely psychological, the £1.99 thing.

Show my husband an item that is priced £199 and he'll see the first number and possibly the second. What he WON'T do, which is what I DO do, is to round it up to £200.

I don't know if this is a peculiarly male trait or not but it certainly works.

£199, 999 looks SO MUCH CHEAPER than £200,000 because the first number is a 1, not a 2. Honestly. I've seen it in action, not just in my DH but other (mostly) men too.

Hours of fun can be had with a few quid worth of 2p coins at the slotties. 2 penny falls are a firm favourite in our family.

5p falls would be shite and 10p falls are just too extravagant with 3 kids!

I've heard that the original reason was so that cashiers had to put everything through the till; they needed to open the till to give the penny change so wouldn't pocket the £2 on a £1.99 transaction.

I suppose the 2p coin could be phased out.

But I'd definitely keep the 1p.

Many shops have charity collection boxes by the tills, so any unwanted coins the copper-hatred get in change could go straight in there, or the next one they see, or to buskers.

They're so easy to give away and it all adds up to value for someone

I collect mine and take them to the bank every year or so, when I've enough to exchange. I collect up 1,2 and 5p as I virtually never spend any of these.

YY, the way that Australia has addressed the issue is sensible. I used to save and bag all mine, until I realised what a PITA it was so now I just do one of the following when they're starting to build up:

put them in the self service till at the supermarket and pay the rest on card
swap them in the tuck shop money tray at work.

Pay in exact money in McDonalds because it's usually £x.x9 and then feel bad about not having a penny to put in the charity box in the counter. Or I could just put all the shrapnel in the box anyway.

I fund raise for a charity, including bucket collections and banking the contents of collection boxes in shops etc.

You would be (or may not be ) amazed at how much we collect via 2p and 1p pieces.

I also automatically see anything at £1.99 as £2 etc. I'm astonished that anyone doesn't but in the days of almost universal electronic tills, I think there is a lot less opportunity for not putting transactions through the tills.

Even as a childfree couple, DP and I would miss it if the 2p slots disappeared from the seaside. We have at least one day a year where we go for a walk on the beach, chips, ice cream and some time in the amusement arcades on the 2p slots.

If you have a Metro bank their machines don't charge.

The Australian thing is totally sensible, but the execution baffled me when I was there last year...... they got rid of 1 and 2 cent coins decades ago, yet continue to price things and round up or round down. Why not just do away with it all together and price things in 5 cent intervals?

Last time I did the coinstar thing I got nearly £100 that went straight into my newly set-up savings account for holidays. :)

I'm in Oz too and it weirded me out a bit.

What's interesting in Australia is that, even though they have got rid of the coppers, they STILL charge $1.99 for things, because of the psychological factor.

Of course, if you pay cash, you pay $2 - but if you pay by card, you pay $1.99

People do pay for things in them, but if you're going to insist on doing that (like I do), be mindful of the queue and respectful of others in it by counting them out before you get to the till (like I do).

xposted

If everybody emptied their coin jars and cashed in their coppers for usable coins and notes, I reckon it could pump a few hundred million pounds back into the economy.

Here in NZ smallest coin is 10 cents (worth about 5p) - totals at the checkout are rounded up or down if paying cash, or exact amount is taken if paying by card.

But if you got rid of them how would you play the card game New Market? Penny on the card, penny in the pot!

We could solve the 99p problem with a 99p coin.
Monster Raving Loony policy, apparently...

Agree OP, they should just go. People who save them could just save 5ps instead which would just take up a fifth of the space and save four fifths of the time wasted counting them. Shops trying to make things look cheaper can just charge 19.95 instead. Much of the eurozone has already abandonned copper coins. These coins really are worth very little; in real terms the 2p is now worth about quarter what the half p was worth when decimal currency was first introduced.

My change system is coppers and 5ps in charity boxes at checkouts. 10p, 20p and 50ps in the car to pay for parking (and the occasional drive though MacDs). £1 and £2 coins in my money box. The money box thing originally was to pay for me to take solo holidays but so far one box (about £450) went to DD1 to help fund her inter-rail trip. Boxes 2.and 3 are treating both DDs to a short trip to Greece. boxes 4 and 5 are yet to be emptied but need to be done soon before the £1 goes out of date. Maybe they'll be used for their intended purpose.

I love having the exact amount of change to pay for something but I expect it pisses off the cashier especially as I put the coins in order of size in my hand to give to them.

YABVVVVVVU
My kids have always collected these in jars and it gives/ gave them enough money to buy presents for family.
It was extra money I didn't have to find for them at expensive times.

Also, what about look after the pennies? Find a penny pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck.

They're outdated and nonsensical!

Having coins that some people see as useless is a good thing for all those who need them, individual's or charities. There are many who only give away what they don't value.

Drop the 1p, 2p
Bring in a 99p coin - it seems really needed

I heard that £1.99 means that the cashier has to open the till to give you a penny. If it was £2 they could smile, say thank you and then pop it in their pocket as you walked away.