# What to do with a box of old foreign money? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 13, 2018, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-box-of-old-foreign-money/826075 "2018-12-13T19:06:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2018, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-box-of-old-foreign-money/826075/21 "2018-12-14T18:58:01Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > The bills added up to several hundred dinars, which is currently worth about a quarter. [For now](https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-fans-sink-savings-into-iraqi-dinar-scam). ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-box-of-old-foreign-money/826075/22 "2018-12-15T03:30:18Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > My gf was doing some house cleaning and found a few Iraqi Dinar, complete with Saddam Hussein’s visage. The bills added up to several hundred dinars, which is currently worth about a quarter. How did some dinars end up in your house? Did either of you serve in the military over there? Just curious. My friend that I mentioned earlier in this thread has acquired some Somali and Congolese coins, which wound up at the coin store he moonlights at via local refugees. (I asked about the Somali mint; it’s in Germany, of all places.) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-box-of-old-foreign-money/826075/23 "2018-12-15T05:44:23Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > How did some dinars end up in your house? Did either of you serve in the military over there? Just curious. [They are a common cheap item on Ebay](https://www.smh.com.au/world/middle-east/saddams-dinar-makes-a-comeback-on-ebay-20030415-gdglu1.html), made interesting novelty items after Saddam was overthrown. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-box-of-old-foreign-money/826075/24 "2018-12-15T06:56:21Z")
I used to have an old Iraqi 10,000 dinar note with Saddam on it given to me by a family member in the military. I threw it out eventually, because who fucking cares? Old paper currency burns well–like, really well. Don’t hold it in your hand while igniting. You could use it to start a charcoal grill. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-box-of-old-foreign-money/826075/25 "2018-12-15T08:39:33Z")
If there is any value (the British pound notes were demonetised years ago, too), it’s likely to be only to collectors, if you can find one or a dealer who sells old currency to them. Or someone who can find a decorative use for them, . ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-box-of-old-foreign-money/826075/26 "2018-12-15T09:57:58Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > [For now](https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-fans-sink-savings-into-iraqi-dinar-scam). The research in this article seems faulty > [@](#): > > In reality, Trump was talking about trade imbalances with China. But like other Trump supporters who have fallen into the dinar investment scam, which has existed since at least 2012, Kotseos interpreted Trump’s rambling statement as proof that the Iraqi dinar would soon be worth as much or even more than the dollar, making anyone who had been smart enough to buy in early a millionaire. The dinar investment scam has existed since the invasion of Iraq in 2003 when currency speculators assumed the post-invasion Iraqi government would stabilize and the pre-war dinars would explode in value so they started buying and selling them en-masse. Lots of soldiers returning home from service found themselves taking home duffel bags full of dinars they had traded with locals assuming this would be the case. Whoever wrote this article seemed to pick 2012 as the date simply because there’s a book on Amazon about Iraqi Dinar scams that was first sold in 2012 but I quickly found a news article from 2009 talking about the dinar scam. ---
**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:** [December 15, 2018, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-box-of-old-foreign-money/826075/27 "2018-12-15T11:27:10Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > How did some dinars end up in your house? Did either of you serve in the military over there? Just curious. > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > [They are a common cheap item on Ebay](https://www.smh.com.au/world/middle-east/saddams-dinar-makes-a-comeback-on-ebay-20030415-gdglu1.html), made interesting novelty items after Saddam was overthrown. We discussed this at length when she found them. She doesn’t remember ever seeing them before and assumes her exhusband acquired them somehow, likely eBay. ---
**Author:** ![phs3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phs3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phs3)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-box-of-old-foreign-money/826075/28 "2018-12-20T18:16:10Z")
If you have enough, make a Monopoly set with real money. My dad was in Brasil in 1970(?) when they devalued, and realized later that he blew it: he could have done the big bills with old bills, and the small bills with new, and had a way cool Monopoly set. Actually that sounds like something an Etsy seller could make money off of… ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-box-of-old-foreign-money/826075/29 "2018-12-20T21:01:43Z")
> [@phs3](#): > > If you have enough, make a Monopoly set with real money. My dad was in Brasil in 1970(?) when they devalued, and realized later that he blew it: he could have done the big bills with old bills, and the small bills with new, and had a way cool Monopoly set. > > Actually that sounds like something an Etsy seller could make money off of… I always thought it would be cool to use real money in Monopoly. A quick Google search says the bank starts with $20,580 except the rules state the bank “never” runs out of money (like it could with houses and hotels). I can’t find any really large lots or stacks of foreign currency on eBay. Sometimes movie money or play money comes in lots but then you might as well just use the standard Monopoly money. As far as the OP, find a coin club or a scout troop and donate it. Much less hassle and you’re unlikely to get rich anyway. OR drop some on a sidewalk and set up a camera and record if anyone picks them up, then post it to YouTube. That’d be cheap fun. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-box-of-old-foreign-money/826075/30 "2018-12-20T21:30:53Z")
Eh, throw them into a Salvation Army kettle. mmm [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-box-of-old-foreign-money/826075.md?page=1)