A place to exchange old European Currency

[sammyinvest]

I used to travel over to the UK and Europe quite a bit, but haven't done so for several years.

I would usually exchange Canadian funds for pounds, francs, marks etc before I left Canada. When I returned home, I just kept all the unused currency for my next trips.

However, over the years I ended up keeping a few hundred dollars worth of foreign currency, only to find out now that banks in Canada won't exchange that currency for Canadian dollars.

I recently came across a site, however (www.thecurrencycommission.com) that WOULD exchange my old European currency. They don't give me the same rate as I got when I first exchanged the money, but at least I'm getting back a fair chunk, and I can at least use it rather than having it sit at the bottom of my sock drawer.

It took about 10 ten days from the time I sent them my old currency to the time I got back a bank draft for Canadian currency - just in time for my wife's birthday!! There may be other sites around that do the same thing, but I haven't been able to find them.

[Pete_Coach]

I think you should count yourself as lucky that you even found someone that will give you anything for the old European money. The UK pound is still good at face value because they do not use the Euro yet but the other Countries have given even their own citizens only a limited time to get their money out of their socks and mattresses and exchange it for Euros.

[petrpuck]

It took about 10 ten days from the time I sent them my old currency to the time I got back a bank draft for Canadian currency - just in time for my wife's birthday!! There may be other sites around that do the same thing, but I haven't been able to find them.[/QUOTE]

In the mail ? Isn't that kind of dangerous ?

[sammyinvest]

I wasn't too worried, since the notes were just sitting in my drawer doing nothing. None of the banks I went to in Mississauga were going to convert the money. So, my risk was really nothing.

I did a bit of research on TheCurrencyCommission, and it appeared that they had write-ups in quite a few newspapers and internet forums, so I felt comfortable sending them the banknotes.

If you're nervous, you could always send the notes by registered mail so you have proof they received them..