# Are Americans the only ones that throw money in fountains? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 28, 2011, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898 "2011-09-28T16:32:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/1 "2011-09-28T16:32:17Z")
And every other body of water they can see. My family just recently went to Disneyland. One of things I kept noticing that bugged me was that every body of water would have piles and piles of coins. Does this happen other places? Is ‘It’s A Small World’ at EuroDisney a money-making opportunity? ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/2 "2011-09-28T16:34:27Z")
No, over here in the UK people will throw pennies in fountains,wells or any approximation thereof. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/3 "2011-09-28T16:34:50Z")
Canadians do it as well. The money tends to be collected and given to charity and typically is not kept by the owners. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/4 "2011-09-28T16:55:58Z")
Never seen _La dolce vita_, nor been to Rome? The [Trevi Fountain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevi_Fountain#Coin_throwing) is somewhat famous for coin-tossing into it. heh. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/5 "2011-09-28T16:55:58Z")
When I last visited, there was a lot of money in the Trevi Fountain in Rome. I can’t believe it’s all from Americans… ETA: Great simulpost! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/6 "2011-09-28T16:56:49Z")
> **[Trevi Fountain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevi_Fountain)** > > The Trevi Fountain (Italian: Fontana di Trevi) is an 18th-century fountain in the Trevi district in Rome, Italy, designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Giuseppe Pannini in 1762 and several others. Standing 26.3 metres (86 ft) high and 49.15 metres (161.3 ft) wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world. > The fountain, at the junction of three roads (tre vie), marks the terminal point of the "modern" Acqua Vergine—the... ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/7 "2011-09-28T16:59:04Z")
Coins in the fountain was a plot device in the great children’s book, _From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler_. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/8 "2011-09-28T16:59:31Z")
I cannot believe nobody’s mentioned the [Trevi Fountain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevi_Fountain) (home of the giant octopus). ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/9 "2011-09-28T17:05:39Z")
Outside of the Trevi Fountain (has it been mentioned?) it is quite popular in rural parts of Europe (usually it is linked to a specific fountain, but in the SE of France there are tons of old public foutains and a few of them have the “drop a coin, make a wish thing”). ---
**Author:** ![CCYMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/87869e/32.png) [@CCYMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCYMan)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/10 "2011-09-28T17:12:31Z")
I believe people toss them into the Trevi Fountain, which is in Italy. ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/11 "2011-09-28T17:18:43Z")
I can’t believe no-one has mentioned Trevi in Italy so far. Also a lot of people throw coins in the Roman Baths in Bath, UK. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/12 "2011-09-28T17:23:37Z")
Isn’t there a famous fountain in Rio? ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/13 "2011-09-28T17:24:13Z")
A local mall once got “caught” keeping the change. There was a big furor, but the local prosecutor said it was not legally required to give the money away, nor advise anyone that it would be kept. Eventually the bad press cost the place a lot of community good will, and they publicly announced that in the future all money collected in the fountain would be donated to charity. Folks were dubious. After several months of continuing public investigation, the mall hired a local sheltered workshop to collect, and distribute the money. Tris ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/14 "2011-09-28T17:27:37Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Isn’t there a famous fountain in Rio? There was, but just once. For 20 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/15 "2011-09-28T17:37:37Z")
I used to work in a building that had a small fountain in the lobby. What I liked about it is that they had a small sign in front each month that said “fountain donations for this month will be donated to XYZ charity” with a different charity each month, and a little blurb about what that charity did. Problem was, the fountain was so small and dinky that nobody bothered throwing coins into it. It looked like they got it at Spencer GIfts or something. There are much bigger and prettier (and therefore more magical) fountains to be found close by. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/16 "2011-09-28T17:46:58Z")
Propitiating (not often I get a chance to use that word!) the water gods goes back to European antiquity. The modern act of throwing coins into fountains or wishing wells is a civilized remnant of old superstitions, one of zillions. Saying god bless you after a sneeze is similar, e.g. I don’t know whether non-European cultures do this, but to limit it to Americans ignores thousands of years of history. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/17 "2011-09-28T17:57:50Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > I used to work in a building that had a small fountain in the lobby. What I liked about it is that they had a small sign in front each month that said “fountain donations for this month will be donated to XYZ charity” with a different charity each month, and a little blurb about what that charity did I’d put this one up – “Any money thrown in the fountain will be taken by the lobby security guards and used by them to buy Snickers bars from the vending machine. This will help them remain alert during their post-lunch drowsy period. Thanks for helping keep your building safe!” ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/18 "2011-09-28T17:58:39Z")
They do it in [this place](http://www.flickr.com/photos/42009607@N00/6192291165/in/photostream#/photos/42009607@N00/6192291165/in/photostream/lightbox/). I think it’s somewhere in Italy. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/19 "2011-09-28T18:10:29Z")
> [@These are my own pants](#): > > No, over here in the UK people will throw pennies in fountains,wells or any approximation thereof. If you do not have a penny would a half penny do? ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/20 "2011-09-28T18:20:37Z")
So fountains and wells get money. How about just random water? Fountains and wels make sense (at least in a traditional sense). Tossing money in a ride at Disneyland doesn’t (well, except for the whole ‘I bet I can throw this so it hits _that_’, which is awfully jerkish.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898.md?page=2)