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?

TroysMammy you're my kind of person may or may not arrange notes by bank and all head facing up

I save 20p's and less value coins with the odd 50p

I save £2 coins - you only need 5 and you've got a tenner. The £2 jar is worth about £400 when full (and also weighs a ton)

Vikingprincess I do that too. Although I worked in a bank I was never a cashier probably because I would have spent my time arranging bank notes

I want to agree as they are a nuisance. But it will just be a massive excuse for shops to hike up all prices.

You may want to read this:
www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/currency/8655340/How-the-UKs-coins-are-made-and-what-they-are-made-of.html

Coppers are mostly copper-plated steel these days.

Lweji. I was just about to say that :). They changed from Bronze to copper plated steel in the 90s. You can check with a magnet if you want. I don't think modern coins have ever been pure copper.

I don't think modern coins have ever been pure copper.

No because otherwise they'd be too soft and bendy. It's always an alloy.

Does anyone remember M&S with their master bluff telling consumers they were rounding up by a penny eg from £19.99 to £20 because it was easier to add up the money? I didn't realise they weren't using computerised tills. Immediately they earned an extra penny on virtually every item that was sold - a very good decision for them!

When I was a cashier we were supposed to have our bags searched every end of shift. In reality mine was searched once and if I'd known it was coming, I'd have put interesting stuff like my mooncup in there, just for the lulz

I never minded getting small change, we'd often run out and swap the change in the charity box for higher value coins. Also, I have a complete hatred of the new 5 pences.

I hate hate hate 5p coins they are far to fiddly for my arthritic fingers and ds1 is always dropping them on the floor for ds2 to try & eat (he favours 5ps, I'm always having to wrangle them off him)
I have no problem with 1 & 2's - charity boxes, pocket money, kids on the self service / parking machines all benefit from them.
DH removes them from his pockets and then complains that there are too many of them in the pot next to his bed. I keep them in my purse and actually use them (often giving over exact change) and never seem to have that many.

When not In the UK, I live somewhere that basically doesn't use coins. We have a 25h and a 50h coin (about 5p and 10p) and then everything is notes. So basically a 20p note, £1, £2, £10, £20 and £100 () and everyone rounds the final bill up/down to the nearest note.

I hate the distribution, and all the notes. Prefer coins.

I give my daughter loose change to go to the ice cream van with he sells sweets and drinks the cheapest item being 5p and he welcomes lose change so I'd always have a use for it.