To be this gutted about a 50p coin?

[EmAreSea]

I mean I know I am, but still.

Lost my purse a couple of weeks ago. It took me quite a while to realise it was missing because a- I mostly use Apple Pay on my phone so don’t tend to use my purse that much and b- I’ve just moved house so assumed it was lying around in a box somewhere. I wasn’t worried about it, there’d not been any fraudulent use of my card so I knew it hadn’t been stolen.

Like a lot of people, as well as the usual cards and stuff I also have a few sentimental things in there- a prayer card I picked up at the hospice where my Dad was looked after before he died, an old style £5 note folded into an origami heart, a lucky King George penny and a Peter Rabbit 50p coin that I came upon by chance and had never spent because I knew it was special.

Got a card over the weekend- turns out my purse has been handed in to TfL. Woohoo! Went and got it back today, and when she handed it over the woman went “Oh, and there was 50p in there wasn’t there?” goes over to a till, takes out a random 50p coin and gives it to me.

It turns out when stuff like purses are handed in TfL takes all the money out, counts it and puts it in a safe, some goes back in the till and the rest goes in the bank. Obviously when doing this nobody noticed that my 50p wasn’t actually in the change section of my purse, or that it was a special coin. So my Peter Rabbit 50p is gone and I can never get it back. I know I could go on eBay or whatever and buy another but it won’t be my Peter Rabbit 50p. I get really attached to things like that, and felt like it was extra special because it found me, I wasn’t even trying to get hold of one. Plus, you know, they’re rare!

I know I should be grateful to have my purse at all, but I just feel really sad about it. To think that it had been safe in purse right up until some office policy dictated that it had to be taken out just because, and now it’s gone forever. I’m absolutely gutted.

[IceColdLemonade]

^ZEROFUCHSGIVEN*

So it seems! I knew all about the 'boring' commemorative coins but didn't realise it extended into fantasy realms.

I've just been looking at some on Ebay, there are some great ones and I have just bought a Harry Potter coin for my nephew.

I know what OP means, you can replace the coin you lost but it's just not the same.

[ZeroFuchsGiven]

@IceColdLemonade

There are some great ones, I have the full beatrix potter collection probably 5 times over and the Paddington bear collection.

I have been collecting coins since I was a small girl and my Grandad has just passed his collection onto me, I am over run with coins now.

Ones to look out for are kew gardens 50p and the undated 20p. I have both but Id never sell them. All my coins will be left to my dc.

[IceColdLemonade]

Zeofuchsgiven

Yes I love the Paddington Bear and the Beatrix Potter.

I think they are lovely - I could see myself starting a collection. I've always loved coins.

Thanks for the tip re Kew and the 20p!

[NoProblem123]

This is 2017 - is it this one ?

[ElizaDee]

@BrendasUmbrella Mon 09-Sep-19 15:50:38
OP's lost purse was found, stored, contents registered, a letter sent out to her and returned. Yes, kicking up a stink is absolutely the right thing to do in return...

The UK is awash with children's character 50p's. She'll find another one.

That's not the point, it's not their money to remove.

For example, what if someone had a 5 pound note folded up in their purse. Some busybody would think 'oh, that's only a fiver, let's put that in the till'. It could actually have writing on it and was the last thing given to the person by someone they loved, DH/Mum/whatever. But they wouldn't know that. So shouldn't remove it.

The point is, no one knows why people carry the things that they do so no one is entitled to fuck with it.

[easyandy101]

On the putting it in the till thing:

If that was a mint uncirculated or double struck kinda thing then they might just have done op out of quite a bit

They didn't "bank" the fiver I guess?

[Otterseatpuffinsdontthey]

q

[dottiedodah]

Some nice offers here ,to send you spare 50p coins .I know how you feel but these things happen .Seems strange that the 50p coin was missing. Not worth much but people still seem to think they are.A lady in Tesco said "ooh you have got one of the Tom Kitten 50ps may be worth something.I have quite a large collection of coins only really interest value !

[EmAreSea]

NoProblem123 yep that’s the one!

Still got the origami fiver, It was an old style note so it’s not legal tender anymore, otherwise that would probably have been taken as well!

Maybe it’s not “rare” rare, and it came to me in the most mundane way possible, but it felt special to me (I do get ridiculously attached to things). I honestly nearly cried when I realised it was gone for good for no good reason. Gonna put that down to pregnancy hormones though!

[ArgumentativeAardvaark]

OP you’re going to make a fortune if you accept all these offers!

[AnnonniMoose]

I think the Peter Rabbit one with one half whisker is a bit rare.

[thesnapandfartisinfallible]

How dare they go through your purse and remove money? They have no right. All they should do is check for ID, contact you and put the whole purse in the safe. Not start taking things out and storing separately. I'd go fucking nuclear.

[SunshineAngel]

Hi,

If you're really bothered about that specific coin then I'm sorry :(. But I would happily send you a new one if you want :).

[BirthdayDreamer]

I feel your pain, but whenever something dismaying or upsetting happens, I try to think of something worse happening that would have upset me far more and then I feel grateful that the worse thing didn't happen!

[RainbowAlicorn]

There are several of those around, I'm sure if you ask in shops they will have one to give you. I collect 50p's so would be pissed off I would question them about their policy though, why are they banking someone else's money?

[ArgumentativeAardvaark]

The same amount of money is returned to the passenger @Rainbowalicorn. They are just putting the actual coins and notes in the bank as that is the safest place for them. As is clear from this thread, millions of people have Peter Rabbit coins in their purses and spend them without a second thought. It was perfectly reasonable of them not to know this one had a particular sentimental value.

[NoProblem123]

I’ve DM’d you.

They shouldn’t have touched it. As PP had said it could have been completely irreplaceable like the fiver.

[RainbowAlicorn]

It is still wrong. Where I work you just put the purse and its contents in the safe.

[GooodMythicalMorning]

I know how you feel op, Dh accidentally used my Mrs Tiggywinkle 50p so I made him go back and swap it back

[QuestionableMouse]

Just thinking what we do at work... We'll check for ID and then everything is stored in the safe or office until its claimed. If stuff isn't claimed within 24 hours its handed over to the police. (purses and such)

We would never go through purses and remove things!

[EmAreSea]

They’d taken every single card out of all the slots as well, so all my store cards, ID, etc. They literally emptied it and gave me the purse back and its contents in a little bag like the ones you put liquids in at airports.

[Neverender]

I have a few - if you really want one I'll send it to you if you PM me. (I've had a really good day) x

[Petrichor11]

YABU

It’s a very common 50p that has no special significance. The other irreplaceable items I could understand but being gutted over the 50p is ridiculous.

Maybe you should keep sentimental stuff safe at home rather than carrying it around where it can easily get lost

[PinkLacy]

The Peter Rabbit coins are really not rare at all.

[BlueLadybird]

They’d taken every single card out of all the slots as well, so all my store cards, ID, etc. They literally emptied it and gave me the purse back and its contents in a little bag like the ones you put liquids in at airports.

So what? I would think that they need to log exactly what was in it when it was found so no one can accuse them of stealing.