# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/41 "2011-09-29T06:22:26Z")
I found [this thingy](http://g.co/maps/6d5r2) somewhere in Italy. If you zoom in enough you might be able to see if there are any coins on the bottom of it. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/42 "2011-09-29T06:40:48Z")
Yeah it’s common here too. Usually the money is given to charity. ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/43 "2011-09-29T07:05:59Z")
The OP mentioned Disneyland. At the Disney Parks here in Japan, various fountains and water displays have lots of yen at the bottom. Although Cast Members discourage the practice, I always see Japanese tossing coins during my visits. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/44 "2011-09-29T10:31:34Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > I might have to disagree with your last sentence though. At least in my neck of the woods, Japanese people love leaving money at shrines and making wishes and just all-around practicing in minor superstition. Certainly, Shinto advocates the use of small coins to receive blessings, but as you note that’s at shrines, not random wells and fountains. You would need to do a bit of work to link the two traditions, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/45 "2011-09-29T10:46:18Z")
Well, in Shinto, gods are everywhere, especially beautiful places like fountains, so it’s not unfeasible that a Japanese person might throw a well in a random fountain and wish for a blessing. But, if Japanese people actually throw coins in fountains regularly, it’s probably a borrowing of Western tradition. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/46 "2011-09-29T11:23:02Z")
I sometimes cry into my wallet - will that bring me _bad_ luck? ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/47 "2011-09-29T12:02:49Z")
Well that depends. Is the wallet over 100 years old? ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/48 "2011-09-29T12:03:15Z")
> [@Silver Tyger Girl](#): > > So fountains and wells get money. How about just random water? There are a couple of intensely bright blue springs near Þingvellir in Iceland, the sheer beauty of which is (IMHO) completely spoiled by the propensity of tourists (most of them probably native Icelanders) to throw coins into them. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/49 "2011-09-29T12:07:33Z")
You might be interested in what Wikipedia has to say about [wishing wells](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wishing_well). ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/50 "2011-09-29T16:57:06Z")
One example of people throwing coins into wells outside of the US is something known as the Fontana di Trevi. It is a very obscure, rarely referenced well in a small, forgettable town in Italy. But people do throw money into it. You can read more about it [here](http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontana_di_Trevi), if you can speak Italian. Unfortunately, no information about it has ever been translated into English, because it is so uniquely Italian and forgettable. It’s really not surprising, therefore, that no one has mentioned it yet in this thread. Glad I could help! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/51 "2011-09-29T18:09:54Z")
Other than traditional places like Trevi, it’s a moronic and pointless thing to do. I’ve seen people throw money into pools in caves, into the pools and pots in Yellowstone, and into water habitats at zoos. It’s hands-down the most idiotic thing that tourists do. I posted before that tourists killed the sea otters at the Alaska Zoo by poisoning the animals with copper coins. The zoo went to the trouble to build a wishing well, with multilingual signs saying why it was there, and put up warning signs about the danger to animals. The result: another group of otters died. Fucking idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/52 "2011-09-30T02:44:11Z")
I’m frankly amazed that no one has mentioned the archetypal “wishing well” type of fountain. Translated from the Korean, it is called "[The Trevi Fountain."](http://awaitinganame.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/p1050182.jpg) It is in a [neighborhood](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotte_World) of Seoul, Korea. ---
**Author:** ![asauce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/839c29/32.png) [@asauce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asauce)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/53 "2012-05-31T01:14:11Z")
WOW. It is unbelievable, utterly incomprehensible, and breathtakingly heart wrenching that, upon careful, scrutinizing AND inspection of (even going so far as to read or at least skim over) EVERY single post in this thread , that NO ONE, no not ANYONE AT ALL has mentioned, alluded to, referenced, linked to or even THOUGHT about doing any of the aforementioned concerning the TREVI FOUNTAIN in ITALY!! EVERY other forum that I have ever read that discusses wishing wells at least MENTIONS the Trevi! I even saw a thread discussion that looked EXACTLY like this one where SEVERAL people had made it thier DUTY, their HONOR, their LEGACY to educate the ignorant minds of that forum by mentioning the WORLD FAMOUS, although obscure and little known TREVI FOUNTAIN. And, I’m pretty sure they throw coins into that one too. ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/54 "2012-05-31T01:43:13Z")
**asauce** , you may want to look at post #4 and others that have mentioned **Trevi**. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/55 "2012-05-31T01:46:30Z")
> [@JpnDude](#): > > **asauce** , you may want to look at post #4 and others that have mentioned **Trevi**. I have a feeling **asauce** is trying to fit in and is just late to the joke. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/56 "2012-05-31T01:52:10Z")
I seem to recall being told by a US Federal Park ranger that coins tossed in the park get counted as donations to the park and go into the park’s budget. ---
**Author:** ![supery00n](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@supery00n](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supery00n)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/57 "2012-05-31T03:10:36Z")
America started doing it first. Everybody does it now, but then again, everybody has the light bulb, airplane, blue jeans, and a written constitution. The reason why Americans started this tradition was because they were the first country to be so rich that they could afford to do so. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/58 "2012-05-31T04:46:03Z")
I believe that the custom originated with the ancient Celts who used to toss human sacrifices into lakes. This is our attenuated version long since bereft of meaning. Do not ask from whence I pulled this belief. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/59 "2012-05-31T04:50:29Z")
All right, I didn’t resurrect this zombie, but since it’s done, I’ll throw my tuppence into this thread . . . I see plenty of people, even **asauce** have mentioned the Trevi Fountain already, but I don’t recall that I myself have mentioned it yet. So let this be the first mention of the Trevi Fountain: **The Trevi Fountain**!!! First mention by ME anyway. Okay, I’ll add something new to this conversation too. When I was a wee lad, my father owned a janitor service in Los Angeles. Many of his accounts were office buildings, and several had little fountains or reflecting pools out front or in their lobbies. Yes, people threw coins in. Mostly pennies, but a few nickles, dimes, quarters. Nobody seemed to care what actually happened to that money. So my father let his janitors collect the money during their nightly rounds and keep it. (ETA: Which they probably would have done anyway.) It was never really very much. My father told his janitors: Always leave a few coins behind in the fountain or pool, to “seed” it. That way, people would see the pool with some coins already in it, and “get the idea” to throw in more of their own. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898/60 "2012-05-31T06:01:00Z")
In China the temples I’ve been to have ponds with stone and real turtles (tortoises?). They say it’s good luck if you get your coin to remain on the stone turtle. I thought you get points if you hit a live one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-americans-the-only-ones-that-throw-money-in-fountains/597898.md?page=4)